Infrastructure Negotiations Between Biden and Group Led by Sen. Capito End Without Deal

President Biden’s infrastructure negotiations with a Senate GOP group led by Shelley Moore Capito of West Virginia ended without a deal yesterday. The two sides have worked for the past several weeks to try to come to an agreement with disputes on the cost of the plan and how to pay for it. But now, the White House is planning for a proposal from a bipartisan Senate group led by Senator Joe Manchin. Yesterday, a bipartisan group of 58 house members released a $1.25 trillion proposal which includes $761.8 billion in new spending.

The White House’s decision to end the negotiations with Senate Republicans comes after a five-minute phone call between Biden and Capito. Capito said “While I appreciate President Biden’s willingness to devote so much time and effort to these negotiations, he ultimately chose not to accept the very robust and targeted infrastructure package, and instead, end our discussions, however, this does not mean bipartisanship isn’t feasible.” and added that she was disappointed by the President’s decision. Both offices confirmed the negotiations have ended.