Pres. Biden & Democrats to make push for a bipartisan agreement on scaled-back infrastructure bill

[Celerity]

President Joe Biden and senior congressional Democrats plan to make a sustained push for a bipartisan agreement on a scaled-back infrastructure proposal over the next two weeks.

Link to tweet

Bipartisan focus intensifies for crucial weeks ahead as path narrows on infrastructure

https://edition.cnn.com/2021/05/07/politics/infrastructure-bipartisan-negotiations-white-house/index.html

(CNN)President Joe Biden and senior congressional Democrats plan to make a sustained push for a bipartisan agreement on a scaled-back infrastructure proposal over the next two weeks, according to aides and White House officials.

In the latest sign that Democratic leaders are giving bipartisan talks their blessings, aides say that a timeline for passing a budget resolution, the first step in the process that would allow Democrats to pass legislation without GOP votes, has slipped past May.

Biden has also made clear he sees the coming weeks as a key test for whether the parties can find a path forward, officials say. He's instructed his staff to engage in continued negotiations and invited the lead Senate GOP negotiator, Sen. Shelley Moore Capito of West Virginia, to the White House next week and informed her she could choose the colleagues she wants to attend, according to one official. He'll also host congressional leadership next week.

"I'm meeting with my Republican friends up in the Congress to see number one, how much they're willing to go for, what they think are the priorities and what compromises -- I'm ready to compromise," Biden said in Thursday remarks in Louisiana. "What I'm not ready to do is, I'm not ready to do nothing."

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[Lovie777]

1. republicans screaming about "unity" . . .

let's see . ...

I'm not holding my breath.

[onethatcares]

2. yeah, that'll work again

even with the turtle saying he'll block any measures the Democrats propose.

[Etherealoc1]

3. Deja vu

Whatever happened to learning from
our mistakes?

Watered down crap and then no
Republican votes.

[Deminpenn]

4. Biden knows the game from his Obama years

This is just going on so Biden can say he made a good faith effort to negotiate when Dems have to pass this legislation with only their votes. It also serves to placate Manchin.

[Celerity]

6. What if Manchin & Sinema only agree to bills far closer to the Rethug version than Biden's version?

Justice will have then completely outflanked him on both the right and the left (as Justice supports the full boat bill on physical plant infrastructure).

[Deminpenn]

8. They just need the cover of the negotiations going nowhere

It's the same dance that was done for the rescue plan.

[Celerity]

9. So you think this is all kabuki theatre, and both Manchin and Sinema will cave and vote for 2

bills (the physical plant part and the human infrastructure part, totalling to around 4 trillion usd combined) that are as close to the originals as the COVID bill was?

I hope so, but I have large doubts that is what will happen.

We shall see, BUT if that is not what happens, I am never again giving people the benefit of the doubt on prognostications that attribute some grand, 5 dimensional chess strategy super skills to either Manchin or Sinema.

[Deminpenn]

10. Maybe it's not exactly kabuki theater, but it's a necessary

step in the process. Last night on O'Donnell's show, it was pointed out that in Manchin's recent interview, at the end, Manchin said if there aren't the votes for a bipartisan compromise then they'll have to go another direction.

Remember, Manchin is part of Schumer's 4 senate member leadership team. It's not realistic to think that Manchin is going rogue. He has the green light to try to work with Rs, but in the end when that effort inevitably fails, he will be on board with the Dem developed legislation.

[gab13by13]

5. We have to play their game,

because of both siderism. Repukes get a scaled back version plus infrastructure gets delayed, if it happens at all. I understand the strategy and it may be the only way to get a miniature version of what president Biden wanted. It's just sad we have to play their games.

[Celerity]

7. Manchin and Sinema are forcing us to do this (against the will of the rest of the party and Biden)

We have to play their game, because of both siderism.

Not sure what you mean by that, unless you were referring to Manchin and Sinema.