Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell Monday demanded President Joe Biden push Democrats to “walk back their threats” of withholding support for a bipartisan infrastructure deal unless they are assured of passing a second, massive spending bill.
McConnell, a Kentucky Republican, said in a statement Monday that Biden “appropriately” backed off an earlier threat that he would not approve of the infrastructure package unless there is a guarantee Democrats can pass a second, multitrillion-dollar spending package that would pay for universal preschool, free community college, caregiver funding, healthcare subsidies, housing for the homeless, and green energy programs.
“Republicans have been negotiating in bipartisan good faith to meet the real infrastructure needs of our nation,” McConnell said. “The president cannot let congressional Democrats hold a bipartisan bill hostage over a separate and partisan process.”
Republicans said they were surprised last week when Democrats warned they would block a $1 trillion bipartisan infrastructure deal if it is not paired with the second package.
A small group of Republicans and Democrats negotiated the $1 trillion infrastructure measure and are working to shore up support in the House and Senate. Democrats say they won’t back the bill without the second spending measure, but Republicans oppose the larger package.
The impasse has threatened the future of the infrastructure deal that Biden celebrated last week.
Biden on Sunday issued a statement walking back his threat that he wouldn’t sign the infrastructure bill unless it was passed with the second bill.
“My comments also created the impression that I was issuing a veto threat on the very plan I had just agreed to, which was certainly not my intent,” Biden said Sunday.
Both Speaker Nancy Pelosi, a California Democrat, and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, a New York Democrat, said they won’t consider the narrow infrastructure bill without the larger package accompanying it.
Democrats control the majorities in the House and Senate and determine which legislation makes it to the floor for consideration.
While Republicans have little leverage, they threatened to blow up the bipartisan deal that Biden was eager to celebrate last week.
“Unless Leader Schumer and Speaker Pelosi walk back their threats that they will refuse to send the president a bipartisan infrastructure bill unless they also separately pass trillions of dollars for unrelated tax hikes, wasteful spending, and Green New Deal socialism, then President Biden’s walk-back of his veto threat would be a hollow gesture,” McConnell said.
