AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite
- 19 Republicans signed on to the infrastructure bill on Tuesday, publicly defying Trump.
- Trump attempted to sabotage the bill as negotiations were underway and warned Republicans not to support it.
- Here is a list of all the GOP members who resisted his pressure.
- See more stories on Insider's business page.
Nineteen Republican senators approved the $1 trillion infrastructure package on Tuesday, publicly defying former President Donald Trump who attempted to kill the bill.
The GOP lawmakers joined all 50 of their Democratic colleagues to pass the bill in a 69-30 vote. The legislation includes billions in funding for improving roads, bridges, highways, broadband access, and other measures.
Ahead of the vote, Trump repeatedly criticized the bill, pressured Republicans not to support it, and threatened to primary the lawmakers who did.
As details of the bill were being finalized over the weekend, Trump blasted it as a "disgrace" and told Republicans to "think twice before you approve this terrible deal." Last month, while negotiations were underway, Trump warned in a statement: "Don't do it Republicans – Patriots will never forget. If this deal happens, lots of primaries will be coming your way!"
Plans to pass an infrastructure bill repeatedly crumbled over the course of Trump's four-year term, resulting in a long-running joke of a never-ending "infrastructure week." President Joe Biden, however, has managed to arrive at a bipartisan deal with congressional lawmakers within the first seven months of his presidency. He touted the bill's passage in the Senate on Tuesday, calling the legislation "historic" and "unprecedented." The package now heads to the House for approval.
Since leaving office, Trump has aimed to maintain his grip on Republican politics, yet Tuesday's move marks a significant rebuke of the former president from members of his own party.
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, the highest-ranking Republican of the upper chamber, voted in favor of the legislation.
"I was proud to support today's historic bipartisan infrastructure deal and prove that both sides of the political aisle can still come together around commonsense solutions," he said in a statement. "By promoting sensible, collaborative legislation, we have shown that the Senate still works as an institution."
Trump blasted McConnell hours before the Senate vote on Tuesday as the "most overrated man in politics."
"He is working so hard to give Biden a victory," Trump added.
Several Republicans who voted "yes," including Sens. Mitt Romney of Utah and Susan Collins of Maine, had led the bill's negotiations with Democrats and the White House over the past two months.
A handful of the Republicans - Romney, Collins, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, Bill Cassidy of Louisiana and Richard Burr of North Carolina - were among the lawmakers who voted to convict the former president in his second impeachment trial earlier this year on a charge of "incitement of insurrection."
Some of the GOP members who signed on to the bill are Trump's close allies, including Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina.
Three of the senators - Burr, Rob Portman of Ohio and Roy Blunt of Missouri - have announced their retirement, avoiding a potential backlash from voters over their support of the bill and a possible primary threat from Trump.
Murkowski, who's running for reelection next year, already faces a challenge from a Trump-backed candidate. Other Republicans whose seat is up in 2022 and voted for the infrastructure bill include Sen. Chuck Grassley of Iowa, John Hoeven of North Dakota and Mike Crapo of Idaho.
Here are the 19 Republican senators who signed on to the bill:
- Mitch McConnell of Kentucky
- Mitt Romney of Utah
- Susan Collins of Maine
- Lindsey Graham of South Carolina
- Roy Blunt of Missouri
- Rob Portman of Ohio
- Bill Cassidy of Louisiana
- Chuck Grassley of Iowa
- Shelley Moore Capito of West Virginia
- Deb Fischer of Nebraska
- Roger Wicker of Mississippi
- Mike Crapo of Idaho
- Jim Risch of Idaho
- Kevin Cramer of North Dakota
- John Hoeven of North Dakota
- Lisa Murkowski of Alaska
- Dan Sullivan of Alaska
- Richard Burr of North Carolina
- Thom Tillis of North Carolina