Senate Republicans rebuffed President Joe Biden's latest proposal to reinvest in the national infrastructure but will counter with a new offer next week as bipartisan talks are poised to continue.
“Now is the time to build on the progress we’ve made,” Biden told reporters in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware. “We need to make those investments today to continue to succeed tomorrow.”
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The White House hoped to make progress on the deal by early next week. But there is momentum for Democrats to forge ahead without support from across the aisle.
"There’s runway left," Psaki told reporters at the White House. "We’re going to keep a range of pathways open."
President Biden initially proposed a $2.3 trillion infrastructure plan. The GOP's first counter-offer was a fractional $568 billion.
As part of their revised offer, Republicans will argue unused COVID-19 relief funds should pay for President Biden's proposals.
Some Democrats propose using budget reconciliation to fund infrastructure plans, similar to how they provided taxpayers with $1,400 COVID-19 relief checks.
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"Getting Republicans on board is not necessary. Getting the American people back on their feet is," said Rep. Jamaal Bowman, D-N.Y.