From the New York Times:

House Passes $1 Trillion Infrastructure Bill, Putting Social Policy Bill on Hold

The article explains:

The House passed a $1 trillion bill on Friday night to rebuild the country’s aging public works system, fund new climate resilience initiatives and expand access to high-speed internet service, giving final approval to a central plank of President Biden’s economic agenda after a daylong drama that pitted moderate Democrats against progressives.

But an even larger social safety net and climate change bill was back on hold, with a half-dozen moderate-to-conservative Democrats withholding their votes until a nonpartisan analysis could tally its price tag.

For Mr. Biden, passage of the infrastructure bill fulfilled a marquee legislative goal that he had promised to deliver since the early days of his presidency: the largest single investment of federal resources into infrastructure projects in more than a decade, including a substantial effort to fortify the nation’s response to the warming of the planet.

Thirteen Republicans voted for the bill. Local representative, David McKinley, was one of them. From McKinley:

Children in WV are sitting in parking lots to do schoolwork - they do not have reliable broadband internet at home.

I voted for those kids, & the next generation of West Virginians -the bipartisan infrastructure plan will help transform WV. 🖥️👷

More: https://t.co/htDKpBsBto

— David B. McKinley (@RepMcKinley) November 6, 2021

Some thoughts on McKinley's vote

From McKinley's statement:

“Tonight, instead of playing politics, I put America and West Virginia first,” said McKinley.

Yeah, right -- I'm glad this is not about next year's primary. It's interesting that his statement mentions the eastern panhandle even though he doesn't currently represent it:

“America’s infrastructure has been in dire need of modernization and this bipartisan infrastructure bill is what community leaders from one panhandle to the other have expressed that West Virginia needs to restore our aging infrastructure.”

My hunch is that McKinley thinks his vote will be a net positive for his reelection efforts -- in addition to the polls showing that a majority of West Virginians support it, infrastructure has the potential for lots of great photo-ops.

Alex Mooney's response

Here's Mooney explanation for his vote:

My statement on my vote against President Biden & Speaker Pelosi’s $1,200,000,000,000 “infrastructure” bill. pic.twitter.com/B7FvLDAh7i

— Rep. Alex Mooney (@RepAlexMooney) November 6, 2021

(I found it odd that Mooney focuses on the time of the vote -- is it all that important?)

Other responses

President Biden:

Biden takes jab at Trump in celebratory infrastructure speech

Biden laughed and stated "Finally! Infrastructure week! I'm so happy to say that! Infrastructure week!"#MOG https://t.co/cT8BNY3VZY

— Michael O'Grady (@mog7546) November 6, 2021

Fox News:

In case you thought there was universal agreement that investment in improved infrastructure was a good idea, check out Fox News right now pic.twitter.com/g62jpeaAqy

— Yonah Freemark (@yfreemark) November 6, 2021

WV GOP:

The West Virginia GOP's Twitter account has been uncharacteristically silent on this issue. I have no doubt that had McKinley voted against the legislation as Mooney and Miller did, they would have been all over the issue.