Rand Paul on the first 100 days: ‘It’s Biden’s way or the highway’

Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul (R) on Sunday hammered President Biden for his pledges to work for bipartisan unity, claiming that the president went back on his promises to govern with input from both sides.

Speaking on “Sunday Morning Futures” on Fox News, Paul said that Biden was governing without seeking support from Republicans.

“Well, you know, just a couple months ago, we were hearing from President Biden, the newly inaugurated President Biden, that he was going to unify the country, and then we were going to work together and have bipartisanship,” Paul said.

{mosads}”I’m still waiting, Mr. President,” the Kentucky senator continued. “I haven’t seen any of that. I think what I have seen so far is it’s Biden’s way or the highway.”

Paul went on to assail the White House’s $2 trillion infrastructure proposal, which Republicans have claimed includes funding for policies that have little to do with infrastructure, an argument with which Democrats disagree.

“Apparently, reparations are infrastructure. Apparently, child care is infrastructure, health care. They have got a climate police force they’re going to put out, youth force,” he said. 

“But I don’t see anything that looks like they want to work together,” Paul continued. “Now, there are those of us who are saying we could be for some bipartisan infrastructure bill if it had to do with real infrastructure like roads and bridges and if it was paid for.”

Democrats passed a $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief bill without a single Republican vote, and Republicans are now balking at the size, scope and pay structure of Biden’s infrastructure proposal.

Biden’s $2.3 trillion proposal includes money for roads and bridges, broadband, and rail and water systems but also includes funding for in-home care, housing, clean energy, public schools and manufacturing. He’s floated raising taxes on corporations and the wealthiest Americans to pay for the legislation.

Republicans argue Democrats could win their support if the bill was smaller and more focused on traditional infrastructure such as repairs to roads, bridges and tunnels as well as the expansion of broadband internet access in rural areas.

Some Democrats have hinted that the legislation could pass using a budget reconciliation tactic that would allow them to move the legislation to Biden’s desk without a single GOP vote in the Senate, provided Democrats hold the line and suffer no defections.

But the White House and some Democrats last week said a $568 billion Republican counterproposal was a good starting point. Some Democrats have also floated breaking up the infrastructure bill into two portions, including one that could garner Republican support.