Senate negotiators scramble to defang GOP criticism
| Senators negotiating the bipartisan infrastructure package are trying to defang potential GOP criticism about the funding mechanisms for their $1.2 trillion deal and whether they can fully cover the cost of the legislation.
The group of almost two dozen senators is racing to finalize legislative text for the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) in a matter of days as they face pressure from Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.), who has scheduled a procedural vote for Wednesday. With top Republicans signaling the CBO analysis will be a key factor in whether they support the package, negotiators are laying the groundwork to argue that the congressional scorekeeper lowballed some of their proposals. They are also looking for potential revenue alternatives, amid conservative concern about some of their ideas. |
