"The initial shift in Republican political priorities away from belt-tightening coincided with the demise of the Tea Party, the dominant force in the 2010 midterm elections, and the rise of [t]rump, who presided over an $8 trillion increase in the national debt.

..."Former Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) criticized House conservatives...for abandoning their Tea Party principles during [t]rump’s four years in office. 

"'None of these guys said anything when the [t]rump administration added $1 trillion to the federal budget deficit by the end of 2019 — before a single dime was spent on COVID-19 relief.'

..."The national debt stood at $19.9 trillion when [t]rump took office in 2017 and hit $28 trillion last month. 

..."Republicans are trying to revive fiscal concerns as they push back against Biden’s $2.3 trillion infrastructure proposal but are having trouble gaining traction.

"A Politico-Morning Consult poll from this month showed strong support among Republicans, Democrats and independents for Biden’s infrastructure spending priorities, and 65 percent of voters were on board with raising the corporate tax rate to help pay for them. The survey even found that 42 percent of Republicans favored raising taxes on corporations.

..."The lack of staunch opposition among Republican voters to Biden’s economic agenda makes it trickier for Senate Republicans to oppose, especially when winning back the majority means securing victories in purple states like Georgia, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin."