According to the Washington Examiner, Republicans are getting nervous about the Senate talks on infrastructure. It quotes one of them saying what they are all thinking:
Senate Republicans told The Washington Times that they fear the White House will subvert the intentions of the bipartisan group — which includes Sen. Mitt Romney of Utah and other more moderate Republicans — to falsely claim broad support for their roughly $2 trillion spending plan.
“The White House doesn’t seem to want a real deal, they weren’t willing to work with the Senate Republican leadership on something everyone can get behind,” said one GOP lawmaker who requested anonymity when discussing actions of fellow Republicans. “The majority leader is talking about going it alone regardless, so why give them a win?”
[…]
Most of Mr. Romney’s colleagues take a dim view of the effort. Mr. Biden‘s team, they warn, could strike a watered-down compromise on infrastructure just to be able to say they achieved a bipartisan deal. Mr. Biden could then get the rest of what he wants passed via budget reconciliation, a process that allows spending bills to pass the Senate with a simple majority of 51 votes.
I doubt that Mitch will allow them to get 10 votes to stop the filibuster. Moreover, they really don’t have to worry about an add-on reconciliation. And their close ally Emperor Manchin is highly unlikely to allow a reconciliation bill with more spending.
But I love the idea of it if the Democrats could pull it off. “Hey, thanks for the bipartisan win, Mitt! Now, watch this drive!”
Sadly, I can’t see it. Interesting that that the GOPers think they will though.