Portman is one of 11 Republicans in discussions with 10 Senate Democrats and members of the Biden administration to get a bipartisan infrastructure deal, which would limit the upper chamber from using the reconciliation process to advance legislation. The reconciliation process would be able to pass a bill without GOP backing if all Democrats vote in favor of it.
"I think we're absolutely committed to it, and I think there are a number of others, as well, on both sides of the aisle," Portman stated on NBC's Meet the Press. "There is a lot of interest in having a bipartisan proposal."
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Last week, a more modest group of bipartisan lawmakers reached a new agreement on a proposal that would total $974 billion on infrastructure projects like roads and bridges, waterways, and expanded broadband. The proposal would include roughly $579 billion in new spending over five years though is still far less than President Joe Biden's $1.7 trillion proposal.
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Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer announced on Wednesday that lawmakers will proceed moving forward on two different tracks that would consider bipartisan legislation, as well as a Democratic-led bill that would pass using reconciliation. Schumer started the reconciliation process through a meeting with members on a budget resolution.
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A key factor of the disagreements between lawmakers, outside of the cost, is what is described as broadband, as some Democrats are attempting structural reforms related to healthcare and climate change.
Sen. Bernie Sanders, who is working with Schumer on a package, claimed that the bipartisan proposal does not do enough to fund the areas he and other Democratic members want.
"What they are talking about spending money on is reasonable. It’s exactly what we are talking about. Our infrastructure is crumbling. We need to invest in roads, bridges," Sanders announced Sunday on CNN's State of the Union. "On the other hand, absolutely, we’ve got to go forward with the needs of working families in terms of child care, paid family and medical leave, climate, etc."
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Sen. Joe Manchin also fired a shot at liberal colleagues Wednesday when he declared he will not commit to supporting a reconciliation package that progressives want to pack with their ambitious priorities.
Asked if he would commit to supporting a reconciliation package, Manchin said: “I’m not committing to that.”
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“I’m not committing to anything,” he stated. “I want to look at everything.”
“I want to make sure that we make good decisions, sound decisions based on facts,” he continued, indicating that he wants to examine the details of any legislative proposal before saying how he will vote.
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