President Joe Biden will host Republican Sen. Shelley Moore Capito at the White House on Wednesday afternoon, two people familiar with the matter said, as negotiations over a potential bipartisan infrastructure bill enter a critical phase.
A group of Republican senators, led by Capito, unveiled their most recent offer of $928 billion on Thursday. Biden called Capito directly to thank her for the ongoing work on infrastructure — even as his administration and Republicans remain more than $1 trillion apart in their proposals.
Among the sticking points between the two parties: the definition of infrastructure — which Biden wants to broaden to include items like care for elderly people — and the use of unspent COVID-19 relief funds, which the Republicans want to repurpose to fund the fixing of roads and bridges.
The meeting comes as Democrats are trying to urge movement toward a deal. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg suggested Sunday that time is running out for Republicans to come to an agreement with the Biden administration on infrastructure spending before Democrats go it alone.
“The president keeps saying inaction is not an option. And time is not unlimited here,” Buttigieg said on CNN’s “State of the Union.”
Biden last week warned that the window for a deal will shut soon, with Republicans still over $1 trillion short of the White House’s latest proposal.
