Biden on Infrastructure: 'We Have a Deal'

President Biden has his long-sought bipartisan deal on infrastructure. Whether it becomes legislative reality is a trickier question. "We have a deal," Biden announced at the White House on Thursday, flanked by Democratic and Republican senators who crafted the compromise, reports the Hill. The nearly $1 trillion plan includes about $550 billion in new spending on roads, bridges, and other infrastructure projects, per Politico. However, it wasn't immediately clear whether Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer or Minority Leader Mitch McConnell would back the plan. And Nancy Pelosi added a wrinkle of her own. As the AP describes it, she "warned that it must be paired with the president’s bigger goals now being prepared by Congress under a process that could push them through the Senate with only Democratic votes."

“This is important,” Pelosi said. “There ain't going to be a bipartisan bill without a reconciliation bill." Meaning getting all this passed "promises to be a heavy lift for Democrats," per the Times. On Thursday, however, Biden and senators who worked on the deal were emphasizing their breakthrough on the size, scope, and price of the infrastructure deal. “I clearly didn’t get all I wanted," said Biden. "They gave more than I think maybe they were inclined to give in the first place.” GOP Sen. Rob Portman added that "we didn’t get everything we wanted but we came up with a compromise that is going to help the American people." The talks have been ongoing for weeks, to the chagrin of more progressive Democrats who fear that the deal will prevent a larger package from emerging. (More President Biden stories.)