Rep. Mace to Newsmax: We're Not Spending Money on Roads, Bridges

After the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore on Tuesday, Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., told Newsmax that Congress has to "be smarter" about how it spends money because little money in infrastructure bills is spent on upgrading and replacing roads and bridges.

"Truly, it was shocking," Mace said on Newsmax's "Wake Up America." "I woke up to text messages from friends and family asking if I had seen the video yet from the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse this morning, and I watched it just before I came on just now. It's shocking to see, especially looking at a single point of failure and to see the entire bridge collapse.

"My heart goes out to those families who've been affected, who are getting news of their loved ones being submerged in this collapse this morning. It's every person's worst nightmare, being on a bridge and having this happen, but also, questions about our infrastructure and what are we doing to make sure that we have the best infrastructure in the world so that when a ship passes by and clips the bridge that it doesn't entirely collapse."

Asked how something like this could happen, considering how much is appropriated for infrastructure in congressional legislation, Mace said, "We're not spending it on roads and bridges."

"Look at the $1.2 trillion infrastructure bill that was done a couple of years ago that the left hails as this massive success, but it was mostly Green New Deal," she said. "Actually, in that bill, $110 billion went to surface transportation, which is roads and bridges, and, of that $110 billion, $70 billion went to public transportation, leaving only $40 billion for traditional roads and bridges. If you live along the coast or you live near water, you know that our bridges are rusting out.

"We have many, many bridges that have to be replaced and upgraded. And you know it's probably about a billion dollars a bridge every time. So, I look at South Carolina, when the infrastructure bill came through, we really only got $1 billion more than we otherwise would have over a five-year period. I can barely build a bridge in my district for a billion dollars. That's just one district."

Mace was quick to point out that both Democrats and Republicans were to blame for the nation's spending problems and said "both parties have to be held accountable."

"Republicans are equally responsible for the massive spending," Mace said. "Look what [former House Speaker] Kevin McCarthy did with the debt ceiling bill last year. All of this, the bad spending bill we just voted on on Friday, all of this stems from all the bad deals that the disgraced former speaker started.

"But this has been a problem for Republicans for decades. The last time we ever balanced the budget was in 1998 when Bill Clinton was president. … This is a two-party problem and until voters wake up and say no more, this is just going to continue."

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