Dem Virginia Senator: McAuliffe Could Have Won if Infrastructure Bill Passed Sooner

 Senator Mark Warner (D., Va.) claimed on Sunday that former Virginia governor Terry McAuliffe could have defeated Republican gubernatorial candidate Glenn Youngkin if Congress had passed the Biden administration’s infrastructure bill sooner.

“What a difference a week makes,” Warner told host Dana Bash on CNN’s State of the Union. “I think if we could have been talking about that win, and showing the kind of job creation that actually has been taking place, things might have been different.”

Bash asked, “Different in that you think Terry McAuliffe could have pulled off a win?”

Warner responded, “Absolutely. Absolutely. The voters in Virginia and the voters of America gave us the presidency, the Senate and the House. They expected us to produce.”

The House passed the $1 trillion bipartisan infrastructure bill late Friday, months after the Senate passed the legislation and days after McAuliffe was defeated in the gubernatorial election on Tuesday. McAuliffe had previously criticized Congress for moving too slowly on the infrastructure bill and the administration’s $1.75 trillion reconciliation bill.

“Here’s my message to Congress: I’m sick and tired of all of them,” McAuliffe said at a debate with Youngkin in September. “They’ve got to stop their little chitty-chat up there, and it’s time for them to pass it: Let’s get this infrastructure bill passed for America.”

In a victory speech early Wednesday morning, Youngkin promised to lower state taxes and conduct an audit of the state government while in office. The governor-elect added that he would work to expand school choice and alluded to local debates over the curricula used in schools.

“We are going to embrace Virginia parents, not ignore them,” Youngkin told supporters.