Smith accuses Biden of "bait and switch" on infrastructure deal

Southeast Missouri congressman Jason Smith (R-8), the ranking member of the U.S. House Budget Committee, used ear-catching language Friday to describe President Joe Biden's vow to veto the new $1.2 trillion bipartisan infrastructure bill unless the next spending bill is to his liking.

"Biden's circus at the White House (Thursday) was complete hogwash," said Smith, who has represented Cape Girardeau County and 29 other southern Missouri counties in Congress since 2013.

"He says he has a bipartisan agreement and then two hours later says, 'If I don't get everything I want in the separate reconciliation package, I'll veto the first one,'" added Smith.

"Washington is full of bait-and-switch tactics and this definitely takes the cake," Smith told Fox New host Maria Bartiromo.

The infrastructure bill reportedly has the following provisions.

• $400 billion for baseline transportation funding.
• $266 billion for water systems, broadband and improving power grids.
• $80 billion to hire 87,000 new Internal Revenue Service auditors.
• $4 billion for Central American countries.
• A 22% increase in funding for the Environmental Protection Agency.

There is no increase in funding to support the Homeland Security Department in the infrastructure bill, Bartiromo reported.

"(Biden's) priorities are clearly wrong for America," said Smith, 41.