Kaine says Democrats "blew the timing" of infrastructure and spending bills

Washington — Democratic Senator Tim Kaine of Virginia said Sunday that congressional Democrats "blew the timing" of passing the $1.2 trillion bipartisan infrastructure bill and broader social policy and climate package, to the detriment of Democrat Terry McAuliffe in his failed race for the Virginia governor's mansion against Republican Glenn Youngkin.

"Bluntly, we blew it, and I'm not talking about progressives or moderates or the House or the Senate. The congressional Democrats have majorities in both houses, and the American public expects us to deliver," Kaine said. "If we had done both of these bills in early October, Terry McAuliffe would have had so much to sell: Relief is coming in terms of lowering childcare costs, pre-kindergarten. There's going to be infrastructure to hire people to fix our ports and our airports and improve our roads. Instead, with a narrow majority, a lot of people start to think, 'Let's see, I can hold out for the one thing I most want, or I can hold out to kick out this one thing I don't like.' And Democrats blew the timing."