Biden Ends Infrastructure Negotiations With Senate GOP, Will Focus Efforts on Bipartisan Group
President Joe Biden is ending negotiations on an infrastructure package with Senate Republicans and will focus his attention on a bipartisan group of lawmakers. Biden negotiated with Sen. Shelley Moore Capito (R-W. Va.)…
President Joe Biden is ending negotiations on an infrastructure package with Senate Republicans and will focus his attention on a bipartisan group of lawmakers.
Biden negotiated with Sen. Shelley Moore Capito (R-W. Va.) for several weeks since he introduced a $2.25 trillion infrastructure package. Over the course of the discussions, Biden offered a smaller $1.7 trillion bill.
Republicans initially proposed a $568 billion bill but later unveiled a $928 billion offer.
The president and Capito spoke for about five minutes on Tuesday. However, the West Virginia senator said in a statement later that Biden was ending negotiations with Senate Republicans.
“I spoke with the president this afternoon, and he ended our infrastructure negotiations,” Capito said. “Throughout our negotiations, we engaged respectfully, fully, and very candidly — delivering several serious counteroffers that each represented the largest infrastructure investment Republicans have put forth.”
She went on to say Biden “made it clear that he was willing to accept an offer around $1 trillion” and “understood” that a red line for Republicans was undoing the 2017 tax cuts.
“Despite the progress we made in our negotiations, the president continued to respond with offers that included tax increases as his pay for, instead of several practical options that would not have been harmful to individuals, families, and small businesses,” she continued.