For weeks now, I’ve been writing on the ill-advised Republican participation in a supposedly bi-partisan infrastructure deal. Joe Biden blew up negotiations no less than three times, culminating in the White House endorsing a massive $3.5 trillion boondoggle of a reconciliation package, which would undercut any deal struck.

Still, Republicans, intent on proving they are truly the “stupid party” decided to keep pushing forward. As of just a few days ago, Sen. Rob Portman was rushing to find common ground on an unneeded $1.2 trillion package that would only further accelerate the crippling inflation the country is experiencing

Last night, Majority Leader Chuck Schumer again shivved Republicans in the back by scheduling a vote to move forward with a “deal” that didn’t even exist yet, and I mean that literally. There was actually no deal on paper to even vote for. After that vote failed, we still didn’t see Republicans come forward and say enough is enough.

Now, Nancy Pelosi is busting in like the Kool-Aid man to let it be known that no infrastructure deal will see the light of day in the House until a reconciliation package is done.

PELOSI: “We will not take up the [bipartisan Senate] infrastructure bill until the Senate passes the reconciliation bill." pic.twitter.com/dVisYVzALk

— JM Rieger (@RiegerReport) July 22, 2021

This has to be the nail in the coffin, right? What would be the point of passing a bipartisan infrastructure deal if Democrats are letting it be known that they will just fill in all the negotiated gaps with a reconciliation bill? That would be like making a deal for someone to not shoot you in the face only for them to assert that they won’t take your deal until after they shoot you in the face. The idea of passing a bipartisan deal when that deal will be preempted by a reconciliation bill that will make the bipartisan deal irrelevant is nonsensical.

Further, is Sen. Joe Manchin, who has put so much stake in this deal as a point of unity, really going to go along with his Democrat colleagues on this? They are responsible for destroying the deal he’s trying to strike. Will he hold them accountable for their bad faith? If I’m placing a bet, I’d say he won’t. Rather, he’ll fold like he always does, with the only silver lining being that he’s almost certainly not going to be re-elected in 2024.

As to Republicans, if they don’t walk away at this point, they deserve whatever backlash they get. If the GOP wants to be put back in power in 2022, they need to show they have the guts to use that power. They have the ability to deny Biden his bipartisan talking point here. They should do so and make him own every negative consequence that will come from the reconciliation bill. Do not play into the hands of Democrats. That’s not a difficult concept.