Buttigieg Calls Out Boebert for Taking Credit on Bridge Funding She Opposed
By Jake Beardslee ·
May 23, 2024
Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-CO) faced backlash from the White House and Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg after claiming credit for securing $51.4 million in funding for a bridge project in Glenwood Springs, Colorado. Jack Gruber / USA TODAY NETWORK
However, Boebert had voted against the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act in 2021, which provided the funding through the Rural Surface Transportation Grant Program. Meghan McCarthy / USA TODAY NETWORK
The White House press office directly called out Boebert, stating in a post on X: "One thing about Congressional Republicans ... they're going to take credit for investments they voted against." @WhiteHouse / X
Buttigieg challenged Boebert's claim of support, commenting: "Congresswoman, in what way do you believe that your support helped this project? We chose it because it's a good project, and funded it using President Biden's infrastructure package, which you voted against." @SecretaryPete / X
Boebert responded, saying: "Only 13 RINOs [Republicans in name only] in the House voted for your Green New Deal non-infrastructure bill you are touting that wastes hundreds of millions on climate change instead of roads and bridges." Curtis Means/Pool / USA TODAY
In December 2023, the Department of Transportation announced spending $645.3 million from the Rural Surface Transportation Grant Program to improve rural bridges and roads. Photograph by D Ramey Logan / Wikimedia
Buttigieg stated: "Rural communities face some of the toughest transportation challenges, yet are often left out of major federal investments, a pattern that we are changing that under President Biden's leadership." Jack Gruber / USA TODAY
As the 2024 election cycle heats up, debates over spending priorities and the role of government in infrastructure projects are likely to remain contentious issues. Tania Savayan/The Journal News / USA TODAY NETWORK
