Vance criticized an infrastructure law as a candidate then embraced it as a senator

WASHINGTON (AP) — As he campaigned for the Senate two years ago, JD Vance harshly criticized a bipartisan 2021 law to invest more than $1 trillion in America’s crumbling infrastructure, calling it a “huge mistake” shaped by Democrats who want to spend big taxpayer dollars on “really crazy stuff.”

That hasn’t stopped the first-term Ohio senator and Republican vice-presidential nominee from seeking more than $200 million in federal money made available through the law for projects across his state, according to records reviewed by The Associated Press.

Vance is hardly alone among Republicans who have condemned spending enacted under Democratic President Joe Biden, only to later reap the benefit when government funds flow to popular projects back home. In this case, he also was criticizing the achievement of one of the bill’s authors — former Sen. Rob Portman, the Ohio Republican he succeeded.

“I believe you should campaign how you govern so that you are consistent in your message and voters know what they are going to get,” said Ohio state Sen. Matt Dolan, one of Vance's 2022 Republican primary rivals, who was the only GOP candidate to support the bill.