Rep. Pete Stauber (R-Mn) celebrates $1.8 billion to update the Blatnik Bridge

After he voted against and called it 'socialism'

A Republican congressman is now touting bringing federal funding to his district to fix an important bridge. But as one columnist recently noted, he not only voted against the bill that provided those funds — he baselessly referred to it as "socialism."

Rep. Pete Stauber (R-Minnesota) issued a press release over the weekend celebrating $1.8 billion to update the Blatnik Bridge, which connects Duluth, Minnesota to Superior, Wisconsin. He also posted a tweet to his official Congressional X/Twitter account, calling it a "HUGE win" for his district.

"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. Securing the money to help replace this bridge has been a top priority for both states, and I am proud to have worked with my Minnesota and Wisconsin Congressional colleagues to secure this critical investment," Stauber stated. "I look forward to seeing this project benefit countless industries, employers, health care patients, commuters, and tourists for years to come."

But as MSNBC columnist Steve Benen wrote on Tuesday, Stauber didn't "fight" for those funds, or work with his colleagues to "secure" them. When Democrats were passing the bipartisan infrastructure bill, Stauber is on the record in vocal opposition. In 2021, Stauber posted a statement to his House.gov website titled "Stauber opposes Pelosi's irresponsible tax-and-spend agenda," which slammed the bill as "paving a destructive and irreversible path towards socialism."

"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," Stauber stated. "Make no mistake; a vote for this 'infrastructure' package is a vote for the reckless multi-trillion-dollar tax-and-spend spree. That's why I voted NO."

Benen credited Stauber for later acknowledging after that 2021 statement that he conceded the bill would help his district and constituents, along with several other House Republicans who initially opposed the legislation. However, he didn't let the Minnesota congressman entirely off the hook: Benen pointed out that President Joe Biden in 2022 mocked Republicans who voted against the infrastructure bill later turning around and celebrating its investments in their districts.

"I didn’t know there were that many socialist Republicans," Biden said at a Maryland auto manufacturing plant. "Folks, look, you can’t make this stuff up. I’ve got to say, I was surprised to see so many socialists in the Republican caucus."