President Joe Biden and a Senate Republican key to his push for a bipartisan infrastructure bill emerged from a closed-door Oval Office meeting without a deal, but the duo will meet again Friday.
Sen. Shelley Moore Capito of West Virginia and the president huddled privately for about an hour on Wednesday. But the two did not reach a final accord as Biden admittedly faces a decision soon on whether he will continue talks with Senate Republicans or use a fast-track procedure to pass two massive infrastructure packages with just Democratic votes.
Biden did not respond to reporters’ questions about the meeting as he and first lady Jill Biden departed the White House via Marine One for a midweek beach break in nearby Rehoboth, Delaware.
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But the White House press office did describe the session in the typical, upbeat tone, with members of the competing parties still talking about a possible deal.
“This afternoon, the President hosted Senator Capito for a constructive and frank conversation in the Oval Office about how we can drive economic growth and benefit America’s middle class through investing in our infrastructure. The two agreed to reconnect on Friday,” the White House said.
In a statement, the senator said she is “encouraged that negotiations have continued,” adding she told Biden she is still focused on an agreement “that can pass Congress in a bipartisan way.”
Neither side gave any indication by early Wednesday evening that Biden and Capito had moved closer to a deal or if either side had given up any demands that might help bring one.
The White House released a slimmed version of its initial $2.25 trillion infrastructure plan with a $1.7 trillion price tag. After calling the first offer too hefty, Republicans responded with a $925 billion counteroffer.
GOP senators have blanched at Biden’s broad definition of what constitutes infrastructure. Their latest counter would focus mostly on roads, bridges, and public transit, which both parties consider infrastructure.
However, White House officials continue pushing their more expansive definition, which covers other things, including child care assistance.
In a sign a deal could still come together, Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg applauded Republicans during a Sunday morning television interview for, in his words, realizing the size of a deal likely is around $1 trillion.
Another unresolved sticking point is how to pay for any eventual bill.
The White House wants to nix the Trump-era tax cuts. Republicans are pushing the administration to redirect what they claim are unspent funds from the recent COVID-19 spending package — money that White House press secretary Jen Psaki this week said has mostly been spent.
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Several hours before Capito arrived at the executive mansion, Psaki downplayed the odds of a midweek deal, saying she did not “expect this meeting to be an exchange of paper.”
