The Aiken County Republican Party has censured Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham (S.C) for supporting a $1.2 trillion bipartisan infrastructure deal that passed in the Senate this week, according to the Aiken Standard.
The party accused Graham of “consciously violated the platform of the South Carolina Republican Party” and said he “opened the door for additional Chinese investment in American projects” thereby increasing “the threat to our national security.”
“Support of the ‘Invest in America Act’ is tantamount to supporting the Socialist Marxist agenda of the House and Senate Democrats who are using climate change as a way to force businesses and private citizens into tyrannical government compliance against our free enterprise system,” the censure reads.
The legislation which passed in the Senate on a 69-30 vote, with 19 Republicans joining all 50 Democrats, includes funding for roads, bridges, passenger rails, drinking water and waste water systems, as well as expanding high-speed internet and climate-related infrastructure.
Still, the Aiken County GOP believes the bill did not go far enough since it did not address border security and actually “degrades the rights of existing American businesses.”
Graham defended his vote, saying the legislation is “good for South Carolina.”
“It provides much-needed help for our roads, bridges, ports, and expands broadband internet access,” Graham said after the bill passed. “I have always been supportive of infrastructure investment and wish we had passed this years ago. This bill provides American infrastructure with a much-needed face-lift.”
Graham’s Republican colleague from South Carolina, and potential 2024 candidate for the Republican Party nomination for president, Sen. Tim Scott did not support the infrastructure package.
“I support targeted investment in upgrading our nation’s roads, bridges, ports, broadband, and other real infrastructure needs,” Scott said in a statement. “But I cannot support more reckless spending on unrelated pet projects that will suffocate our future generations with mountains of debt.”
