Biden-Capito infrastructure negotiations have ended
Jen Psaki said the president spoke with a bipartisan group of senators Tuesday.
Infrastructure negotiations between President Joe Biden and Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va., have ended.
"He informed Senator Capito today that the latest offer from her group did not, in his view, meet the essential needs of our country to restore our roads and bridges, prepare us for our clean energy future and create jobs," White House press secretary Jen Psaki said in a statement Tuesday afternoon.
"He offered his gratitude to her for her efforts and good faith conversations, but expressed his disappointment that, while he was willing to reduce his plan by more than $1 trillion, the Republican group had increased their proposed new investments by only $150 billion," she added.
On Capitol Hill, Capito told ABC News, "We had a robust package that we could've made work and I think I could've gotten 20-25 Republicans to go with me."
"They moved the goal posts on me a couple of times and they just decided to walk away," she added.
SLOTWALLETAsked what's next, she said, "You'll have to ask him."
The back and forth over infrastructure has gone on for weeks now, with top-line figures for both parties eking gradually toward one another. The sizable cost difference between the two sides was due in part to fundamental disagreements about the scope of the bill. Republicans have argued that things like child care, home care, work training and other "human infrastructure" elements of the White House package have no place in an infrastructure bill.
An administration official said that with the White House moving on from negotiations with Republicans, the president will now turn his focus to engaging with a bipartisan group of senators to find a deal on infrastructure -- a group he would welcome Capito to join.
That engagement has already begun -- Psaki said Biden spoke with Sens. Kyrsten Sinema, D-Ariz., Bill Cassidy, R-La., and Joe Manchin D-W.Va., on Tuesday.
"He urged them to continue their work with other Democrats and Republicans to develop a bipartisan proposal that he hopes will be more responsive to the country's pressing infrastructure needs," Psaki said.
With talks between Biden and Capito now sidelined, attention on the Hill has turned to that bipartisan group that has been meeting behind the scenes to craft a plan for several weeks.