'Blindsided' GOP senators put infrastructure deal in doubt

'Blindsided' GOP senators put infrastructure deal in doubt

SeattlePI.com

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WASHINGTON (AP) — Livid and “blindsided” over President Joe Biden’s refusal to sign a bipartisan infrastructure deal without passage of his broader priorities, Republican senators Friday were frantically considering options as the future of the sweeping compromise appeared in doubt.

The rare accord faced new uncertainty barely 24 hours after Biden strode to the White House driveway and was flanked by 10 senators from a bipartisan group, with all sides beaming over the nearly $1 trillion compromise.

Senators were described as “stunned,” “floored” and “frustrated” after Biden later put the conditions on accepting their deal, according to people familiar with the private conversations and granted anonymity to discuss them.

“No deal by extortion!” tweeted Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., on Friday.

Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky signaled the sudden turn of events when he declared that Biden’s messaging from his two news conferences Thursday “makes your head spin.”

The path ahead is now uncertain.

Senators launched into calls Friday seeking answers from the White House after a tumultuous past month of on-again, off-again negotiations over Biden’s $4 trillion infrastructure proposals, his top legislative priority.

Voting on the compromise package was always expected to be delayed until the end of the Senate’s July work period. The Democrats’ two-track strategy has been to consider both the bipartisan deal and their own more sweeping priorities side by side.

But Biden’s vow to essentially veto or refuse to sign the bipartisan accord without the companion package being negotiated by Democrats and now expected to near $6 trillion alone throws the process into doubt.

Senators who were part of the bipartisan...

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