White House seeks bipartisan infrastructure push; Republicans wary

President Joe Biden could find himself under pressure on Monday to prove his much-touted interest in working with Republicans in Congress, as lawmakers return from their spring break to grapple with his $2.3 trillion proposal to improve U.S. infrastructure.

Biden’s party holds slim majorities in both the House of Representatives and Senate, meaning he can ill afford to lose Democratic votes. That has empowered and emboldened Democratic moderates such as Senator Joe Manchin who have outsize influence over the fate of Biden’s ambitious legislative priorities including the infrastructure package, gun control and others.

Biden, who previously served for 36 years in the Senate, has repeated since becoming president in January his interest in collaborating with Republicans. He is expected to host Republicans and Democrats from both chambers of Congress at the White House on Monday to discuss a way forward on infrastructure.

“Even before the American Jobs Plan was announced, the President himself and White House senior staff were briefing Republican lawmakers on the proposal,” said a White House official, speaking on condition of anonymity. “He’s enthusiastic about continuing to be in close touch with both parties about this historic investment in the backbone of the country.”

But increasing numbers of Republicans are accusing Biden of having no sincere interest in working with them, saying his overtures have amounted to little more than window dressing for a go-it-alone Democratic strategy. Biden won congressional passage of a major COVID-19 relief bill without Republican support.