- Gov. Sununu of New Hampshire criticized Republicans seeking retribution over the bipartisan infrastructure vote.
- During a recent CNN interview, Sununu said that some GOP members "have their priorities screwed up."
- Sununu recently turned down a 2022 Senate bid and will instead run for a fourth term as governor.
GOP Gov. Chris Sununu of New Hampshire on Sunday lambasted fellow Republicans who have sought to punish the 13 House members who backed the $1.2 trillion bipartisan infrastructure bill championed by President Joe Biden, saying they "have their priorities screwed up."
Sununu, who recently chose to eschew a high-profile Senate run against Democratic Sen. Maggie Hassan and instead run for reelection to a fourth term leading the Granite State next year, stressed that the party needed to focus its energy on more pressing issues.
"When we talk about kicking people off of committees because they don't like one vote or the other — again, I just think they have their priorities screwed up," the governor said on CNN's "State of the Union."
When asked by host Dana Bash on what the threats of retribution say about the GOP, Sununu stood his ground.
"Again, I think it says that we have our priorities wrong. Republicans have had huge successes with cutting taxes, limiting government, creating opportunities in schools, supporting parents, making sure kids — those are our wins, and those are American wins," he said.
Sununu is viewed as a pragmatic Republican governor of a state that then-Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden handily carried in the 2020 election.
The comments come as Republicans debate the consequences of members backing elements of Biden's agenda, with some members looking toward the 2022 midterm elections when the party is poised to make major gains, while others have chosen to support legislation that they feel will benefit their districts.
Former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows, who served under former President Donald Trump and was himself a member of the House from 2013 to 2020, said that Republicans who backed the bipartisan bill should "absolutely" lose their committee assignments.
Meadows has also been openly critical of the leadership style of House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy of California, who was unable to corral his caucus against the bipartisan bill and hopes to ascend to the speakership next year.
Lamenting the overall state of politics, Sununu said that "both sides of the aisle" in the nation's capital are "screwed up."
"They focus on the wrong things. They don't talk about balancing budgets. They don't talk about fixing health care, immigration reform. Social Security and Medicare are going to be broken in about 10 years," he said.
"You better get around to fixing that, because I have elderly citizens that are counting on those types of programs," he emphasized.
Sununu also opined on last week's censure of Rep. Paul Gosar, the Arizona Republican who posted an animated video on social media that was edited to depict him killing Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York and brandishing swords at Biden.
While every Democratic member backed the censure in a 223-207 vote, only two Republicans – Reps. Liz Cheney of Wyoming and Adam Kinzinger of Illinois — supported the resolution.
GOP Rep. David Joyce of Ohio voted "present."
Sununu was unsparing on Gosar's conduct regarding the matter.
"When a congressman says those things and puts that thing up, of course they have to be censured for that. Of course they have to be held to bear for that," he said.