GOP senators reject Biden tying infrastructure deal to bigger spending package
S E E D E D C O N T E N T
The day after President Joe Biden touted a deal with a bipartisan group senators on an infrastructure package, other Republican lawmakers have raised new questions about whether they'll support it, objecting to his saying he won't sign the measure -- if it passes -- unless it's tied to a separate larger package aimed at funding his key priorities.
The infrastructure deal, presented to the White House by five Democratic and five Republican senators, proposes $1.2 trillion in core infrastructure spending on items such as roads, bridges and waterways.
But even as told reporters, "we have a deal" on Thursday, Biden joined a chorus of Democrats who have said their willingness to advance the infrastructure package depends on whether a second, $6 trillion dollar spending package, focused on other Democratic "human infrastructure" priorities, including child care and housing, can also get the green light in Congress.
"If this is the only one that comes to me, I'm not signing it," Biden said, referring to the infrastructure package. "It's in tandem."
That ultimatum from Biden could threaten the success of the bipartisan deal, as Republicans cry foul.
In a floor speech Thursday, Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell said Biden requiring the big reconciliation spending package as well, just after he pledged support for the bipartisan deal, "almost makes your head spin."
"Less than two hours after publicly commending our colleagues and actually endorsing the bipartisan agreement, the president took the extraordinary step of threatening to veto it," McConnell said. "An expression of bipartisanship and then an ultimatum on behalf of your left-wing base."
McConnell, R-Ky., has been briefed by Republican members of the negotiating group, but he hasn't yet said whether he intends to support the bipartisan bill if it advances to the floor.
GOP Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., one of the 11 Republicans who initially backed the bipartisan deal, went a step further, calling Biden's conditioning of the bipartisan package on a reconciliation bill moving in tandem, "the ultimate deal breaker for me."
"No deal by extortion!" Graham tweeted. "It was never suggested to me during these negotiations that President Biden was holding hostage the bipartisan infrastructure proposal unless a liberal reconciliation package was also passed."
But White House press secretary Jen Psaki on Friday rejected claims that Biden pulled a fast one on Republicans.
"You all have heard the president say multiple times publicly that he wanted to -- he was going to move these bills -- wanted to move forward in parallel paths, and that's exactly what's happening," Psaki said. "That hasn't been a secret, he hasn't said it quietly he hasn't he whispered it he said it very much, out loud to all of you as we have said many times from here."
Psaki said it is up to Congress to determine the mechanics of delivering both packages to Biden's desk, but she took a swipe at Republicans threatening to block the bipartisan deal.
"If they are going to vote against a historic investment in infrastructure that's going to rebuild roads and railways and bridges -- bridges in their communities, simply because they don't like the mechanics of the process, that's a pretty absurd argument for them to make," Psaki said. "Good luck on the political front on that argument."
If other Republicans follow Graham's lead and buck the bipartisan package because of Biden and Democrats tying it to passing a larger spending package through reconciliation, that creates a very difficult challenge for Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, who needs 60 votes -- including 10 Republicans -- to advance the bipartisan infrastructure package on the Senate floor.
Schumer has said for weeks he intended to pursue a so-called "dual-track" approach that would move both the bipartisan infrastructure package and the second spending package -- supported by only Democrarts -- at the same time.
That promise was essential in getting progressive Democrats in line behind the bipartisan deal. For every Republican who has threatened to vote against the bipartisan bill if it is tied to a reconciliation package, there is a Democrat whose said such a tie is a requirement for their support.
Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Conn., said Thursday that "there's commitment in our caucus that one pieces is not going to go forward and leave the rest of it back in the train station." Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N/Y., told ABC News that commitment to reconciliation is a pre-requisite for her support of the bipartisan bill.
"There will not be a so-called bipartisan package without a major reconciliation package," Senate Budget Committee Chairman Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., said Thursday.
Many of the Republicans who made up the bipartisan group negotiating on infrastructure have previously dismissed Democratic efforts to move forward by using "reconciliation." Republicans used the same budget tool in 2017 to implement then-President Donald Trump's signature tax cuts over Democratic efforts to filibuster, and many are resigned that the Democratic majority has the power to use reconciliation if they can muster consensus in their caucus.
But reconciliation requires 50 Democratic votes, and in the evenly divided Senate, it's still unclear those votes are there.
Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., is a part of the group that crafted the bipartisan bill. He said Thursday he's not yet ready to commit to his fellow Democrats that he'd back the reconciliation package.
"I'm open that we should be working on it," Manchin said. "But I don't know what's in this plan. To say that one is being held hostage by the other doesn't seem fair to me."
Schumer said he wants the Senate to vote on both the bipartisan deal and a budget reconciliation package in July, before the Senate departs for its August recess.
But moving both packages on such an accelerated timeline, with such thing Democratic margins in both chambers, could prove to be a huge challenge for Biden's key legislative priorities.
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Who told Joe to do such a stupid, ignorant thing?
It's Joe the puppet being played by the far left.
Pretty soon they'll end up having neither bill passed.
That is what happens when you are dishonest like Biden is.
The gop should be in a position to make gains in the midterm elections but by going against the people's will over and over they are poisoning their own well.
But, go on. Keep being as disagreeable as possible.
How has that worked out for the damn gop of late?
By all indications McConnell is sinking his own ship!
I will gladly be looking you up the day after the midterms if you are still around.
The Democratic autopsy of what went wrong will reveal a voter disconnect because of issues like immigration and funding police departments and higher taxes.
Giving away money to some doesn't guarantee votes.
Haven't we heard, "GOP Senators Reject", enough?
Nope, not when it comes to insane legislation.
Democrats have control, remember, so they should do what they wish within limits and stop blaming the GOP for their failures.
If Democrats can't stop the GOP from passing what it wants when Democrats are the minority, and can't pass legislation while in the majority, why vote for such ineptness?
I dont know how this escapes everyone, but Biden saying he will only accept passage of both bills, the second of which will need to be passed entirely by Democrats alone, is aimed at Joe Manchin and Kirsten Synema. He is telling them that all your bipartisan begging will go for naught if you don't also vote yes for the reconciliation bill.
The Republicans, who were never going to vote for the reconciliation bill anyway, have little to do with Biden's statement. Yet they want to whine about it.
Joe Biden looks very bad for touting a bill that he wanted and got, then attached strings to it.
Fuck him and his underhanded ways.
Can you explain to me why the Republicans are doing all the whining about this when the message of Biden's statement is directed at keeping all the Democrats on the same page?
Just address that, not all this other bullshit.
Because I don't believe that crap. Support that statement with some facts and I'll consider it.
Until then, it is mere opinion and you pushed it because even you can recognize the folly of Biden's dumbass remarks.
Biden could have spoken directly to the two Senators you claim he was specifically talking to, but he did not.
Are you now claiming that Biden will only sign the negotiated bill IF some other bill passes? Because that IS what he stated quite clearly, and that is a piss-poor way to negotiate---get a deal agreed to, then change the rules as you go.
You don't understand the political situation and I dont have the patience to teach you.
Biden is saying that he will only sign both bills because he needs Democrats to vote for them both. All the Republicans have to vote for is the one on infrastructure only , there is no way any of them would vote for the other one (based on past votes) , so Biden doesnt need to shore up Republican support for the second bill because that support doesnt exist. He does need to shore up Democratic support for the second bill because he will need 100% of the Democrats to vote for it.
The fuck I don't. Get fucking real, dude.
What I clearly understand (and you do not, apparently) is that there are TWO separate bills and Biden can easily sign the one he negotiated for without strings attached.
If Biden needs the Democrats to ALL be on board to pass something, then he should address Democrats separately and not be speaking about vetoing one bill that he negotiated because he didn't get the other passed.
That is dishonest and bullshit and he will ultimately pay the price for it.
Nor the skill or knowledge.
I dont know why I bother, but,
Biden may very well sign one bill without the other if it comes down to that and all other alternatives had failed, but it is not in his present interest to say that.
I said before that his words are directed at Manchin and Synema , but I realized after I typed that that there is more to it than that. Progressives may be concerned that separating the two bills could make it conceivable that the Biden administration wont fight as hard for the things the progressives want if he already has the infrastructure agreement in his back pocket and that can be passed and signed without the progressives issues included (in that bill). If that is the case then Biden would need to keep the progressives (and Manchin and Synema) in line because he needs all of them for the reconciliation bill.
Progressives may be thinking that doing the infrastructure separate may mean that Biden would be willing to accept one without the other if it were to come to that. So he says "no that is not the case". That is what he is doing and the Republicans have nothing to do with it.
So then it was stupid of him to say he would veto one without the other. And shows he truly really doesn't have any interest in negotiating if he vetoes what HE agreed to.
The simple FACT is that they ARE two SEPARATE bills. Fuck what progressives wish to believe.
Biden negotiated a bipartisan deal and then promptly shit all over it. If he gets anything passed after such crappy tactics it will be a miracle. Why should the GOP negotiate with someone who lied to them?
Believe whatever you like. Its a free country.
Why, thank you for allowing me the luxury of believing the truth.
Thanks ever so much!