Republican ‘Problem Solvers’
Eight Republicans who voted in favor of the infrastructure bill — Don Bacon of Nebraska, Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania, Andrew Garbarino of New York, Anthony Gonzalez of Ohio, John Katko of New York, Tom Reed of New York, Christopher H. Smith of New Jersey and Fred Upton of Michigan — were part of a bipartisan group of lawmakers who helped negotiate the infrastructure bill this summer, consulting with centrists in the Senate.
The group known as the Problem Solvers Caucus, including Mr. Fitzpatrick, the Republican co-chairman, had once hoped to deliver as many as 29 Republican House votes for the bill, but saw members fall away once Representative Kevin McCarthy, the House minority leader, and other top Republicans opposed it as they ramped up their campaign against Mr. Biden’s agenda.
Still, with improvements to highways, bridges, dams, public transit, rail, ports, airports, water quality and broadband coming to the districts, eight members of the group cast their votes in favor of the plan.