One by one, Democrats and Republicans trekked to the Senate floor on Sunday touting a $1 trillion infrastructure proposal and argued that, after months of haggling, it was time for a final vote on the measure.

Republican Senator Bill Hagerty, Tennessee, stands in their path

The procedural maneuver was used by the freshman senator to effectively stop the chamber from moving forward over the weekend. The possibility of a final vote that could have occurred days ago could now linger into Tuesday morning, forcing lawmakers from their second consecutive summer weekend to continue to read through the details of Senate rules.

More than 12 Republicans joined Democrats in clearing the initial hurdles to the infrastructure bill. This means that the legislation will almost certainly be passed despite Hagerty’s protest. The effort could increase the profile of a former Trump administration official who is eager to align himself to the former president. He has intensified his efforts to derail this package.

Trump is doing his bidding, I believe. “I don’t think there is any doubt about that,” Sen. Jon Tester (D-Mont.), one of the leading negotiators for the package, stated in an interview. “I believe they want to drag this out for as long as possible and hope and pray Congress fails.

According to Hagerty, Trump’s motivation for taking a stand is less about Hagerty than it is about the measure that will increase the federal deficit by approximately $256 billion over ten years, according to the Congressional Budget Office. After this legislation is approved by Congress, Democrats will be able to adopt a more ambitious and costly spending measure.

Hagerty stated Sunday that “Democrats’ true intent is to rush the bill through.” He also said that Democrats want to quickly pass the bill so they can move on to the $3.5 trillion spending plan. Hagerty called it a “socialist debt bomb”.

The overwhelming majority of Americans — about 8 in 10 — favor plans to increase funding for roads, bridges and ports and for pipes that supply drinking water, according to a new poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research.

Trump has not stopped from slamming the proposal and dissuading Republicans from supporting it. Trump tried to pass a more expensive infrastructure package, but failed, as president.

Trump found an ally in Hagerty (a 61-year old businessman and financier) who shares his love for the former president. This is a remarkable transition from being an orthodox Republican to becoming a passionate Trump supporter.

According to a source familiar with the conversation, Trump called Hagerty Sunday morning. The person requested anonymity to discuss the call. Later that day, Trump encouraged Hagerty to continue his call, according to a person familiar with the conversation. He also criticised Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell’s inability to pass Trump’s infrastructure proposal while he was still in office and Republicans had a Senate majority.

Trump stated, “Congratulations Senator Bill Hagerty for remaining true to America First!”

Hagerty, a private equity investor and activist, was long involved in Republican politics. Hagerty was previously in the George H.W. Bush administration. Bush, and then went on to work in the unsuccessful presidential campaigns of Republicans who became Trump critics — John McCain (and Mitt Romney), to whom he and his spouse donated $100,000. Bill Haslam, a Republican governor in Tennessee, also appointed him as the economic development commissioner.

Hagerty was like many GOP members, jumping from one candidate to the next in 2016. It became clear that Trump would be the nominee. His confrontational approach would transform the GOP. Hagerty was a Jeb Bush supporter, Marco Rubio’s candidate, and finally, Trump’s.

According to disclosures, he was appointed finance chairman of Trump’s Victory Committee and gave $11,000 to Trump. He was a key leader of the Trump transition team and became an ambassador to Japan in 2017.

Hagerty’s 2020 Senate campaign to succeed retiring Sen. Lamar Alexander was launched months before Trump made his announcement. He tweeted that he would endorse Hagerty, which Hagerty used in the centerpiece of his self-financed campaign, which he financed with $7.3million in loans records show.

“The president knew my heart. Hagerty stated to the AP that he and I had been discussing this for some time, and he had strongly encouraged me to take it on,” Hagerty said in 2020.

His campaign was heavily influenced by a Trump-style politics, which was a detriment to some of his former bosses.

Hagerty took a Trumpian tone when talking about Democrats, Black Lives Matter, and other issues that are important to the GOP, in addition to traditional GOP issues such as gun rights, opposition abortion, low taxes and regulatory burdens, and a tough stance against immigration.

Donald Trump Jr. traveled to Tennessee before the outbreak of coronavirus to help Hagerty. Kellyanne Conway and Lara Trump were also among the Trump world figures that supported his bid.

“I have known Bill for a while. Trump stated that he was one of my first supporters during the 2020 teletown hall event for Hagerty, at the height the pandemic. He’s been so amazing in so many ways. We must send out great conservative voices.”

Hagerty appointed over a dozen ex-Trump administration officials to his Senate staff after he took office in January.

Some Republicans cheered Hagerty.

Indiana Senator Mike Braun applauded Hagerty’s “standing on principle”, though he acknowledged that the days are long and he has been reading and doing crosswords.

“What would I rather do?” Braun stated, “Back home picking weeds on my farm.”

However, it is a waste of time for other colleagues.

“We have wasted not minutes, nor hours, but many days,” said Republican Senator Kevin Cramer from North Dakota, who supports this measure.

Romney (R-Utah) also tried to stop the campaign against the bill.

“Criticism should be expected. Romney stated that criticism is not difficult. “What bill would you prefer instead if you don’t like the bill? What would you choose instead?