White House proposes smaller $1.7 trillion infrastructure package to try to sway skeptical Republicans

The White House told Senate Republicans it is open to reducing its infrastructure proposal down to $1.7 trillion in the hopes of securing a bipartisan deal, but GOP lawmakers signaled they are still disinclined to support a package carrying that price tag. The new offer, described afterward by White House press secretary Jen Psaki, appears to mark a decrease from the total $2.2 trillion President Biden proposed earlier this spring. The new plan is expected to lessen the money available for broadband, and reduce the money set aside for roads and bridges, to bring the president’s blueprint in line with the GOP plan, Psaki said. In a memo to Senate Republicans, the White House proposed lowering President Biden’s funding request for broadband internet to $65 billion from $100 billion, and for roads, bridges and infrastructure projects to $120 billion from $159 billion. The White House said those numbers more closely align with Senate Republicans’ proposals. At the core of the dispute, however, is a fight over what the term "infrastructure" even means: GOP lawmakers suggest it should entail only “traditional” elements including roads, bridges, pipes, ports and broadband, while the White House has taken a more expansive view that includes social safety-net spending.