Secret filming shows GOP congressman saying party wants ‘18 months’ of disruption leading up to 2022 midterms

Chip Roy was recorded admitting that Republicans would try to ‘slow down’ the Democrat’s legislative agenda ahead of the elections for Congress

A GOP congressman was secretly recorded admitting that the party wanted “18 months” of chaos before 2022’s midterms, in a conversation about bipartisanship.

In a recording from June 29, Chip Roy told activists that the GOP wanted to “slow down” bipartisan talks in Congress and “then get in here and lead” following the 2022 midterms.

The Texan was talking to a campaigning non-profit, Patriot Voices, five days after the announcement of a bipartisan agreement on an infrastructure bill in the US Senate.

He told activists that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and US president Joe Biden had tacked “hard to the left” on infrastructure and there was “no hope” for bipartisanship in the House.

“So it’s going to be dependent on the Senate and what Sen [Tim] Scott is able to work out with whatever coalition he can get to get to 60 [votes]”, said the congressman of his Republican colleagues involved in the bipartisan infrastructure bill.

“I mean honestly, right now, for the next 18 months, our job is to do everything we can to slow all of that down to get to December of 2022, and then get in here and lead.”

The Under Current’s Lauren Windsor, who tweeted the video on Tuesday, wrote of the GOP that it wanted “18 more months of chaos and the inability to get stuff done” so that it could win in 2022.

Democrats are in control of both the US House of Representatives and US Senate, although are increasingly frustrated by a 60-vote filibuster to pass bills in the upper chamber.

An infrastructure bill agreed in recent weeks is still to come before the Senate, with the US president touring the US to build support for it.

The Independent reached out to Mr Roy’s office for comment.