Infrastructure deal

President Biden’s deal with a bipartisan group of 10 senators is throwing a lifeline to one of Washington’s most endangered species: The political center.

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The breakthrough came after a cycle of closed-door meetings.

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Thursday’s breakthrough will only be the start of a weeks— if not months-long—slog to get an infrastructure package to Biden’s desk.

The bipartisan agreement is already facing pushback from both sides of the aisle.

Some Republicans warn that Biden’s threat to not sign the bill unless a larger package is passed through special budgetary rules sidestepping the filibuster is a “dealbreaker.”

Progressives want an “iron-clad” commitment that the bipartisan package won’t become law unless the sweeping Democratic-only bill has a clear path to Biden’s desk.

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“This reminds me of the days that we used to get an awful lot done in the United States Congress. ...We get bipartisan deals. Bipartisan deals mean compromise,” Biden said, at one point gripping Portman on the shoulder.

“A lot of us go back a long way,” he added. “They have my word, I'll stick with what they propose. And they’ve given me their word as well. Where I come from that’s good enough for me.”

  The Hill

Gullible.

Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) said on Thursday that it was "inevitable" that Democrats would move forward with a separate, Democrat-only infrastructure package — it was just a question of what the size and scope will be.

"Reconciliation is inevitable because basically Republicans I understand on the tax they don't want to undo anything on the 2017 [bill]."

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Progressives are sending warning shots that they want concrete details on what will be in the Democrat-only bill before they agree to help pass the bipartisan package. And Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), amid progressive pressure, vowed on Thursday that her chamber will not pass the bipartisan package until it is ready to pass the Democrat-only bill.

Manchin endorsed the two-track system on Thursday.

"The only strategy we have is two tracks. I think we're going to do, hopefully ... the bipartisan agreement see if we can get that done and then move to the other one," Manchin said.

  The Hill

They look very pleased with themselves.