Joseph Zambon
Nick Langworthy recently wrote on X (formerly Twitter), “I’m proud to champion policies [such as] investing in infrastructure that supports our communities.” But here’s the fact-check: his statement distorts his and his party’s record on infrastructure.
House Republicans Overwhelmingly Opposed the Infrastructure Act
90% (202 of 228) of Republican House members voted against the 2021 Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), a bill designed to revitalize the nation’s crumbling infrastructure. An infrastructure bill was something former President Trump could not get passed despite frequent proclamations of “Infrastructure Week.”
Western New York Republican Congressmen Claudia Tenney (R-NY24) and Langworthy’s predecessor, Republican Congressman Chris Jacobs, both voted against the Infrastructure Bill.
Ironically, federal investment in infrastructure benefits those most opposed to it. All these projects advance American business and increase corporate profits. Better roads, expanded public transit, and modernized airports, for example, support American business, which is the foundation of the GOP.
What the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act Delivers
The historic IIJA authorizes $1.2 trillion for more than 50,000 projects in communities across the nation:
- Roads, Bridges, and Major Projects: Tackling long-overdue maintenance and upgrades.
- Passenger and Freight Rail: Boosting efficiency and connectivity.
- Highway and Pedestrian Safety: Making roads safer for all.
- Public Transit: Expanding access and reliability for daily commuters.
- Broadband: Closing the digital divide in underserved areas.
- Ports and Waterways: Enhancing trade and transportation hubs.
- Airports: Modernizing air travel infrastructure.
- Water Infrastructure: Securing clean and reliable water sources.
- Power and Grid Reliability: Strengthening energy systems for future demands.
- Resiliency Projects: Preparing for climate change through coastal protection, ecosystem restoration, and weatherization.
- Clean School Buses and Ferries: Reducing emissions for a cleaner environment.
- Electric Vehicle Charging: Supporting the shift to greener transportation.
- Cleaning Up Pollution: Addressing the environmental damage from Brownfield and Superfund sites, and reclaiming abandoned mines.
- Western Water Infrastructure: Addressing the critical water needs of drought-stricken regions.
New York’s Share
New York would receive $11.6 billion for federal-aid highway programs and $1.9 billion for bridge replacement and repairs over five years. New York would receive $9.8 billion to improve public transportation, $685 million for infrastructure
development for airports, $175 million to support the expansion of an EV charging network, and $2.6 billion to improve water infrastructure. This is just part of the list of projects funded by the Infrastructure Act in New York State. In 2023 alone, $10.9 billion was expended for federally funded projects in New York State.
Again, Western New York’s Republican representatives, including current Rep. Claudia Tenney (R-NY24), voted against these projects.
Representative Langworthy Attempts to Take Credit
Had he been a sitting member of Congress at the time, Langworthy would have joined his Republican colleagues and voted against the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, which is bringing millions of dollars into Western New York and the Southern Tier.
Langworthy’s claim, “I’m proud to champion policies [such as] investing in infrastructure that supports our communities,” is not supported by his voting record or the Republican Party’s voting record. He would have been part of the Republican blockade that tried to prevent the IIJA from becoming law. Yet, he tries to claim credit for the infrastructure improvements that benefit his district.
Langworthy remains firmly in lockstep with a party and Western New York’s Republican representatives in the House, such as Rep.Claudia Tenney, that overwhelmingly rejected one of the most significant infrastructure investments in decades.