Senator Shelley Moore Capito, a Republican from West Virginia, left, speaks as Senator Roger Wicker, a Republican from Mississippi, center, and Senator John Barrasso, a Republican from Wyoming, listen during a news conference on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., U.S., on Thursday, April 22, 2021.
Stefani Reynolds | Bloomberg | Getty Images
A group of Senate Republicans plans to send President Joe Biden an infrastructure counteroffer this week as the sides consider whether they can bridge an ideological gulf to craft a bipartisan bill.
The group of GOP lawmakers could deliver their proposal as soon as Thursday, Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.V., told reporters Tuesday.
Hopes for an agreement between the parties to revamp U.S. transportation and broadband appeared to dim last week. After the White House cut its infrastructure offer to $1.7 trillion from $2.3 trillion, an aide to Capito said the plan’s price tag was “well above the range of what can pass Congress with bipartisan support.”
The Republican group initially put out a $568 billion infrastructure framework last month.
The parties still need to resolve fundamental issues to come to an accord on infrastructure, one of Biden’s top priorities in the White House. They have disagreed on what should count as infrastructure, as Democrats push for a bill to include policies including care for elderly and disabled Americans.
Biden also wants to pay for the legislation through tax increases on corporations. Republicans have opposed any effort to hike the corporate rate, set at 21% after the 2017 GOP tax cuts.
Democrats will have to decide whether they want to chop up their plan enough to win Republicans votes, or try to forge ahead on their own using special budget rules.
This story is developing. Please check back for updates.
