The media analysis of the current debacle on the infrastructure bill vote will inevitably focus on the ideological divides in the Democratic Party, but this narrative ignores the larger story. This was President Joe Biden’s choice. Instead of taking a major bipartisan win, he created this mess.

Less than two months ago, the infrastructure bill passed the Senate overwhelmingly with 69 votes, including the support of 19 Republican senators and Minority Leader Mitch McConnell. This tremendous success was only possible because Biden directly engaged in talks with a bipartisan group of 10 senators and promised that the infrastructure bill would not be linked to the $3.5 trillion spending bill.