Colorado Politics

Hickenlooper to attend White House signing ceremony for bipartisan infrastructure bill

U.S. Sen. John Hickenlooper will be among a bipartisan group of lawmakers on hand Monday when President Joe Biden signs the $1.2 trillion infrastructure bill at a White House ceremony, the Colorado Democrat said Friday.

“Let me say this infrastructure bill is a big deal – I mean, it’s a really big deal,” Hickenlooper said at a press conference held outside the Edgewater Civic Center, adding that he is “excited to be a part of the signing process” for a bill he helped write.

“This is going to be the largest climate investment ever and also include tens of billions of dollars that’s going to be spent in Colorado,” Hickenlooper said, standing next to an electric vehicle charging station meant to highlight the bill’s inclusion of legislation he drafted that could lead to lower vehicle charging costs.

Hickenlooper was one of 22 senators – 11 from each major party – who negotiated the bill, which passed the Senate in August with 19 Republican votes and passed the House last week with 13 Republican supporters.

Colorado’s congressional delegation voted along party lines, with Democrats supporting the bill and Republicans balking at it.

“This bill is huge for Colorado, for our country, and for our democracy. It means good paying jobs, clean air and water, high-speed internet for every Coloradan, and a big step toward our clean energy future,” Hickenlooper said before introducing leaders of local labor unions and environmental groups, who applauded the bill’s anticipated benefits in Colorado.

“I think most importantly, we passed it in a bipartisan fashion to show that Republicans and Democrats can still roll up their sleeves and listen to each other, figure out what the right compromise is, and then make a decision and move forward,” he added.

In addition to lawmakers who wrote and helped pass the legislation, the White House said in a release that guests invited to witness the signing include “a diverse group of leaders who fought for its passage across the country, ranging from governors and mayors of both parties to labor union and business leaders.”

It’s unclear, however, how many of the Republican lawmakers who backed the bill will attend Monday’s signing ceremony, as the bill’s GOP supporters have faced ferocious blowback from former President Donald Trump and some of his top allies, including U.S. Rep. Loren Boebert, the Silt Republican.

“Time to name names and hold these fake Republicans accountable,” Boebert tweeted soon after the bill passed the House last week.

Trump issued multiple statements this week attacking Republicans who voted for the bill, which he called “a terrible Democrat Socialist Infrastructure Plan.” He said the “RINOs” – a derisive nickname for Republican-in-name-only – “should be ashamed of themselves.”

Republican Sens. Susan Collins of Maine and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, who were among the senators who negotiated the infrastructure package, plan to attend, but they won’t be joined by Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, who voted for the legislation and has been singing its praises, according to the Washington Post.

U.S. Sen. John Hickenlooper, D-Colo., speaks at a podium next to an electric vehicle charging station during a press conference on the $1.2 trillion infrastructure bill that he helped negotiate in the Senate, on Friday, Nov. 12, 2021, at the Edgewater Civic Center. 
(Photo by Timothy Hurst/The Gazette)
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