Sen. Bill Hagerty gives update from Washington D.C.

JACKSON, Tenn. — Tension are on the rise as Republicans and Democrats try to come to an agreement in Washington D.C.

Lawmakers are having a tough time agreeing with President Joe Biden’s infrastructure bill that would cost close to $1.2 trillion to better roads, public transportation and other public works.

“They’re going to pass a separate, completely partisan deal. Much larger. A much larger thing that’s got all of this stuff in it that the Republicans and the Democrats who worked on a bipartisan basis theoretically didn’t agree on, and that’s not the way we work in the business community. There’s no compromise there,” said Sen. Bill Hagerty.

And while both parties try to come to an agreement on the bill, Hagerty believes the new child tax credit will be helpful, but does not see it as a long-term solution.

“I’m sure the goal is well intended to try to help families get through this tough time, but it needs to be temporary. It needs not to be constructed in such a manner that it could create a long-term dependency, and I’m very concerned about the way this program is constructed that it will do just that,” Hagerty said.

With cases of the new delta variant of COVID-19 on the rise, Hagerty says vaccinations have helped lower the death rates. He says he is hopeful people will listen to experts.

“It seems that everything in this environment is being politicized. People need to make the right decision for their health. I think the people we need to be listening to are folks from the medical community, and that’s the way I think families will come to the right decision for themselves and their broader good,” he said.

Despite the tensions, Hagerty says he is hopeful that an agreement can be reached.