Minnesota gov smacks down Republican for taking credit for Biden projects he voted against

Rep. Pete Stauber (R-MN) took to X on Monday to boast that he had helped secure funding to repair a bridge in northern Minnesota. The problem is that it is a lie.

"I'm proud to announce that Duluth, MN and Superior, WI have received over 1 billion in federal funding to help replace the Blatnik Bridge," he wrote. "This is a HUGE win for #MN08 and I was proud to advocate for these funds!"

In the linked press release, Stauber, who represents the "Minnesota Arrowhead" region, took a further victory lap.

"By connecting Duluth, Minnesota to Superior, Wisconsin, the Blatnik Bridge has helped drive our Twin Ports economy for the past six decades," said Stauber. "The Blatnik Bridge is aging, and its restoration is essential to ensuring continued economic success, which is why I have long fought for these funds ... I look forward to seeing this project benefit countless industries, employers, health care patients, commuters, and tourists for years to come.”

Democratic-Farmer-Labor Gov. Tim Walz, however, wasn't so keen on letting Stauber spike the football.

"Oh boy. I hate to talk politics when there’s good news to celebrate but this is too brazen to ignore," he posted in a reply. "Mr. Stauber voted against every screw, steel beam, and concrete pier in this bridge. Luckily @POTUS worked with Stauber’s colleagues and got it done without him. Thanks, Joe!"

Stauber is not alone. Many Republicans voted in favor of President Joe Biden's Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act; however, a number who voted against it have since championed projects in their districts that secured funding from the legislation.

"Regrettably, Nancy Pelosi and other Democrat leaders made it abundantly clear that the $1.2 trillion Senate infrastructure bill is inextricably linked to their bloated multi-trillion-dollar tax-and-spend package," Stauber said in Nov. 2021 when the bill passed. The press release with the statement is still on his website.

"I will not be complicit in paving a destructive and irreversible path towards socialism," he said of the infrastructure bill. "This massive spending package is not about real infrastructure, and instead will make businesses less competitive, outsource jobs, saddle American families and future generations with more debt and higher taxes, send inflation soaring to greater heights, and completely devastate our economy."

It isn't the first time he took credit, either.

In 2022, TwinCities.com pointed out, "Stauber announced nearly $9.4 million in federal grants to airports throughout northeastern Minnesota, even though he voted against the $1.2 trillion infrastructure bill that funded the grants."

His colleague, Rep. Tony Gonzales (R-TX), also denounced the bill and said it "will only lead to more spending for the Democrats and this flailing administration." But then praised an ecosystem restoration plan for the Westside Creeks, which relied on a $75 million grant from the bill. Similarly, House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-LA) has touted flood control measures that were funded by the bill even after he voted against it.