Bipartisan Senators Strike Tentative Infrastructure Deal

Ten Senate Republicans and Democrats struck a deal Thursday in what they believe is a “realistic” compromise on an infrastructure framework.

Sens. Bill Cassidy (R-LA), Susan Collins (R-ME), Joe Manchin (D-WV), Lisa Murkowski (D-AK), Rob Portman (R-OH), Mitt Romney (R-UT), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Kyrsten Sinema (D-AZ), Jon Tester (D-MT), and Mark Warner (D-VA) said in a statement:

Our group – comprised of 10 Senators, 5 from each party – has worked in good faith and reached a bipartisan agreement on a realistic, compromise framework to modernize our nation’s infrastructure and energy technologies. This investment would be fully paid for and not include tax increases. 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 senators emphasized in their statement that the potential bipartisan infrastructure deal would not include tax increases and it would not increase the deficit.

President Joe Biden has tried to strike a deal with Senate Republicans, led by Sen. Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV); however, Biden nixed the talks to work with the bipartisan group of senators.

Romney claimed Thursday that Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) is “open” to the proposal by the bipartisan group of senators. It remains unclear if Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) would back the deal, or if more leftist lawmakers would accept a more moderate and less expansive infrastructure proposal.

Tester said that the legislation would be paid for with fees and tapping into various funds.

“Part of what I’m concerned about is that maybe what we’re projecting on the numbers, on the pay-fors, because they’re not taxes. They’re fees. They’re funds. They’re different vats of money out there, or pots of money out there, that we can draw out of,” the Montana Democrat said.