Divisions remain on infrastructure as clock ticks on bipartisan deal

Negotiations for an infrastructure package took center stage on Sunday as the clock ticks for the White House and Senate Republicans to strike a bipartisan deal on a trillion-dollar package.

The administration and Senate Republicans, led by Sen. Shelley Moore Capito (W.Va.), have traded infrastructure proposals in recent weeks as debate swirls about what should be included in the package, the total price tag and how the investments should be paid for.

A main sticking point is what Democrats have dubbed “human infrastructure,” which includes investments in long-term care for seniors and people with disabilities.

Republicans, however, are arguing that the package should remain focused on “core physical infrastructure,” including funding for roads and bridges.

The two sides are also at odds over how to pay for an infrastructure bill. The White House has proposed increasing the corporate tax rate, which Republicans are firmly opposed to. Instead, the GOP has called for repurposing some leftover COVID-19 funding to finance the investments.