Biden was on the road Tuesday to make the case for a bipartisan, pared-down infrastructure bill. The plans are currently in limbo amid congressional negotiations.This deal is more than the sum of its individual parts. It's a signal for ourselves and the world that American democracy can deliver for all of our people, Biden stated in Wisconsin. He was making his first pitch outside the Washington Beltway to support the new, slimmed-down infrastructure agreement. Biden spoke from La Crosse County's municipal transit utility, which is Democratic-friendly and voted for him by more than 10 points in 2020's general election.Biden said, "I'm going out there making the case to the American people until the job is done and until we bring the bipartisan bill home."The White House's pandemic relief strategy won support by a majority of Americans including Republicans and independent voters. This president's strategy for the infrastructure package will likely mirror that strategy. Biden and other White House officials described the package as bipartisan, claiming that they received support from GOP voters and mayors throughout the country. However, there were no Republican votes in Congress. The process of budget reconciliation allowed Democrats to pass the relief package into law, which cleared the Senate with 50 Democratic votes.Biden talks Tuesday about the infrastructure deal in La Crosse (Wis.) (Kevin Lamarque/Reuters).However, Biden's pursuit of bipartisanship may end up costing him votes in his party with the current bill. The framework of the infrastructure agreement is only a guideline. The actual legislation remains to be drafted. Some Senate Democrats said they wouldn't support it without additional guarantees for a second package that addresses progressive priorities. However, it is unclear if they are negotiating or drawing a line in the sand. Many left-leaning people feel their priorities like student loan forgiveness and an increase in minimum wage have been repeatedly abandoned by Washington.Continue the storyNow, the White House and Democrats attempt to navigate a delicate two-track process. The bipartisan bill provides funding for bridges and roads, as well as water pipes, rail, and broadband internet. This is the first plank. It would need 60 votes to pass the Senate, which requires Republican support. This gives moderates a win across the aisle. The second plank includes other Biden promises as well as Democratic priorities on climate change and the care economy. It is funded by increasing the tax burden on the wealthiest Americans. This would be made possible by the reconciliation process that was used earlier in the year for COVID relief.Initial statements by the president stated that he would not sign the bipartisan agreement if reconciliation bills didn't reach his desk. However, he later changed his mind and said, "My comments also gave the impression that I was threatening to veto the plan I just signed to. This was definitely not my intention."Senator Mitt Romney (R-Utah), a leading negotiator in the bipartisan talks, stated on Sunday that he believed Biden's word that he would sign it.After a bipartisan meeting at the Capitol on June 8, Sen. Mitt Romney (R-Utah), voted in favor of the infrastructure bill. (Evelyn Hockstein/Reuters).Many of my colleagues were concerned by what the president said on Friday. Romney said that he believes the waters have calmed down after he spoke on Saturday.Nancy Pelosi, House Speaker, has stated that she will not vote on the bipartisan agreement until both pieces have been approved in the Senate. With negotiations swirling, it is unclear whether either bill has enough votes for passage at this stage. Senate Democrats must also agree on reconciliation.Last week, Senate Majority leader Chuck Schumer maintained his support for the two-track approach. He said, "One cannot be done without another... and I think that our members, across all spectrums, realize that." On Monday, Mitch McConnell, Senate Minority Leader, called on Democratic congressional leaders and asked them to follow Biden's lead and separate the two bills. Politico reported earlier this month that Senate Republicans wanted to stop much of Biden's wider agenda by supporting the smaller infrastructure deal.A Yahoo News/YouGov survey found that 6 out 10 self-declared Republicans supported the $1.2 trillion compromise bill. Overall support was 51 percent, compared to 17 percent who were opposed. The same survey showed that 50 percent of Americans supported Biden's $4 trillion plan. Only 32 percent were opposed.Biden, along with other senators involved in the infrastructure deal, on June 24, Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.); Rob Portman (R-Ohio); Bill Cassidy (R-La). ; Kyrsten Silena, D.Ariz.; Mark Warner D-Va., Mitt Romney R-Utah. (Kevin Dietsch/Getty ImagesBiden praised the deal in an opinion piece published on Yahoo News Monday. He said that it was the largest long-term infrastructure investment in almost a century.The White House and Biden have denied that the agreement has any effect on climate. The president praised the bill's investment in electric buses, power grids, and charging stations for electric vehicles in his opinion piece. Jen Psaki, Jen Psaki's press secretary, said Monday that officials had been in contact with skeptical progressives on Capitol Hill. She stressed that the current framework contained many things that members of the progressive wing would love to support and was something that they could be enthusiastic about.Jamaal Bowman and Alexandria Ocasio Cortez, both New York Democratic Reps, were joined by Sunrise Movement protestors outside the White House to demand that their priorities are not left out in the legislative package.Rep. Alexandria Ocasio Cortez, D.N.Y., (with Rep. Cori Bus, D.Mo. at left), participated in a "No Climate, No Deal” demonstration outside of the White House on Monday. (Evelyn Hockstein/ReutersSen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), who is the Senate Budget Committee Chair, tweeted Sunday: Let me be very clear: A bipartisan infrastructure agreement will not be made without a reconciliation bill which substantially improves the lives and combats climate change. There is no reconciliation bill. We need to make a difference NOW.The White House received some good news on Sunday when Senator Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) said that he would support reconciliation to pass a second bill. Manchin was the lead negotiator during the bipartisan talks. However, he said to ABC News that he had only worked on one track. We'll work on the second track. There is a lot of need.Cover thumbnail photo by Kevin Lamarque/Reuters____Yahoo News has more information:
