After talks between the White House and Republicans broke down on Monday, a bipartisan group of senators has agreed to offer President Joe Biden a $1.2 trillion, eight-year infrastructure package. It’s their first offer in what is expected to be a negotiated deal that will satisfy both sides of the aisle.
The group includes five Republicans and five Democrats: Republican Alaska U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, Mitt Romney of Utah, Bill Cassidy of Louisiana, Rob Portman of Ohio, Susan Collins of Maine and Democrats Joe Manchin of West Virginia, Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona, Jon Tester of Montana, Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire, and Mark Warner of Virginia.
Their offer is far less than the $1.7 trillion plan from the Biden White House, which fell apart when Sen. Shelley Capito of West Virginia, who led the Republicans, got the call from Biden that talks were done.
Biden has sought to redefine “infrastructure” as including social programs such as day care and elder care, but the 10 senators who he will negotiate with have limited their offer to just regular infrastructure programs like roads and bridges, sources said.
“We are discussing our approach with our respective colleagues, and the White House, and remain optimistic that this can lay the groundwork to garner broad support from both parties and meet America’s infrastructure needs,” the 10 senators said in a joint statement on Thursday.
