Speakers Hail Centrists, Willingness to Compromise at Infrastructure Bill Signing

November 16, 2021 by Dan McCue
Speakers Hail Centrists, Willingness to Compromise at Infrastructure Bill Signing
President Joe Biden delivering remarks before signing the bipartisan infrastructure bill on Nov. 15, 2021. (Photo by Dan McCue)

WASHINGTON — It wasn’t the best afternoon for holding a bill-signing ceremony on the South Lawn of the White House. As the hour approached, the temperature plummeted and at times the wind sweeping across the wide lawn gusted to 35 miles per hour.

But one was hard-pressed to find a frown in the crowd when after a series of speeches by invited dignitaries and himself, President Joe Biden walked to a small table on the temporary stage and finally signed the $1 trillion infrastructure he’d pushed so hard for.

Moments earlier he told the large, bipartisan gathering seated before him that he had a single message for the American people:

“America is moving again,” he said. “And your life is going to change for the better.”

To many of his listeners — some shivering, some bouncing from foot to foot to keep warm — the statement was as bittersweet as the fading sunlight that passed through the red and yellow and orange leaves that still clung to trees on the historic property.

Monday was a day for celebrating the power of centrism and the spirit of compromise. But no one imagines the divisiveness on Capitol Hill will be any less intense as the House approaches a possible Friday night vote on the president’s broader $1.85 trillion social and climate spending package and with the kickoff to the 2022 midterm elections just around the corner.

And yet the president took great pains to thank the Democrats, Republicans and Independents who worked to pass the infrastructure bill, even as many congressional Republicans chose to sit the bill-signing out.

He also warmly acknowledged the cheers of the governors and mayors in attendance “from red states and blue states” as he spoke of the bridges and roads and airports and seaports that will now be repaired after, in many cases, decades of neglect.

“Folks, too often in Washington, the reason we didn’t get things done is because we insisted on getting everything we want,” Biden said. “With this law, we focused on getting things done. 

“I ran for president because the only way to move our country forward in my view was through compromise and consensus,” he said.

In fact, if there was a theme the White House wanted to drive home Monday, it was that, in the words of White House Spokeswoman Jen Psaki, “there hasn’t been a big, historic, impactful bipartisan bill-signing here for some time … and we are grateful for the support of everyone on both sides of the aisle.”

Psaki went on to say the president will continue to be open to working in a bipartisan fashion on a range of legislation.

“The president’s view is there are many ways that we can do exactly that,” she said during her afternoon briefing with reporters on Monday. “That’s why the American people voted for us. 

“And you all also know that he’s an individual who thinks consensus is a good thing, that compromise is a good thing, and that good things can get done when people don’t just  say, ‘It’s my way or the highway.’”

A half-hour or so later, Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, D-Ariz., a controversial figure during the final weeks of negotiations — President Biden would refer to her from the stage as “the most determined woman I know” — said the final product of all those discussions “represents the substantive policy changes that some have said are no longer possible in today’s Senate.

“How many times have we heard that bipartisanship isn’t possible or that important policy can only happen on a party line? Our legislation was the opposite,” she said.

“The senators who negotiated this legislation showed how to get things done. The senators in our group of 10 effectively represented the needs of the regions they represent … and they always focused on practical outcomes.

“This is what it looks like when elected leaders set aside differences, shut out the noise and focus on delivering results on the issues that matter most to everyday Americans,” Sinema said.

Sen. Rob Portman, R-Ohio, said the infrastructure bill signed by Biden would have a positive impact on every single American and would for decades to come.

“This is what can happen when Republicans and Democrats decide we’re going to work together to get something done,” he said.

“The bipartisan process that resulted in this historic investment began with a meeting about eight months ago, with my colleague, Senator Sinema,” he said, explaining that they met out of dissatisfaction with the plan initially advanced by the administration.

“And as we spoke, we saw that by removing the proposed tax hikes and shrinking the package in terms of what was considered infrastructure, there was an opportunity to find bipartisan consensus and finally fix the nation’s outdated infrastructure,” Portman said.

Eventually, the original 10 senators, who remained the chief negotiators, expanded to a group of 22, evenly divided in terms of party affiliation, and that group was joined by the House Problem Solvers Caucus, led by Rep. Josh Gottheimer, D-N.J., and Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick, R-Pa.

“Our work was guided by a few simple principles: that the bill would be for infrastructure only, that there be no tax increases and no linkage to the broader partisan reconciliation process,” Portman said. “Instead, we agreed this would be a truly bipartisan process, working from the middle out, not the top down. There were plenty of bumps along the way. But we got there because we were all committed to ultimately delivering a result to the constituents we represent.

“This bipartisan support for this bill comes because it makes sense for our constituents, but the approach from the center out should be the norm, not the exception,” he continued. “We have a responsibility to do better. The American people want to see us coming together. They know that despite our differences, we should be able to figure it out and work together and solve the problems of the day. We can start by recognizing that finding common ground to advance the interests of the American people should be rewarded, not attacked.”

Dan can be reached at [email protected] and at https://twitter.com/DanMcCue

A+
a-
  • compromise
  • Congress
  • infrastructure
  • White House
  • In The News

    Health

    Voting

    White House

    March 27, 2024
    by Dan McCue
    Insurers to Expand Access to ‘Navigation Services’ for Cancer Patients

    WASHINGTON — Seven of the nation’s largest health insurance companies are expanding access to so-called “navigation services” to help patients... Read More

    WASHINGTON — Seven of the nation’s largest health insurance companies are expanding access to so-called “navigation services” to help patients and their families navigate the myriad challenges that might arise during treatment for cancer and other serious illnesses. The insurers involved are Aetna; Blue Cross Blue... Read More

    March 26, 2024
    by Dan McCue
    White House Holds Roundtable on Black Men’s Mental Health

    WASHINGTON — The White House Office of Public Engagement last week convened a roundtable on the administration’s efforts to support... Read More

    WASHINGTON — The White House Office of Public Engagement last week convened a roundtable on the administration’s efforts to support Black men’s mental health. The event was moderated by Charisse Jones of USA Today, and featured actors Courtney B. Vance and Lamman Rucker; recording artist Raheem... Read More

    March 25, 2024
    by Kate Michael
    Breaking Barriers: Women in Foreign Service Diplomacy

    WASHINGTON — Women have long played pivotal roles in international diplomacy, though their contributions may have been overshadowed by historical... Read More

    WASHINGTON — Women have long played pivotal roles in international diplomacy, though their contributions may have been overshadowed by historical biases and systemic barriers. In honor of Women’s History Month, distinguished voices, including retired Ambassador Barbara Kay Bodine, Ambassador Paula Dobriansky and Allison Mann, Ph.D., historian,... Read More

    March 20, 2024
    by Dan McCue
    White House Unveils Sweeping Rules to Speed Switch to Cleaner Cars

    WASHINGTON — The Biden-Harris administration on Wednesday rolled out an ambitious new regulatory regime aimed at bolstering the standards of... Read More

    WASHINGTON — The Biden-Harris administration on Wednesday rolled out an ambitious new regulatory regime aimed at bolstering the standards of electric and hybrid vehicles by placing new restrictions on tailpipe emissions. According to administration officials, who briefed reporters on the new rules during a conference call... Read More

    March 19, 2024
    by Dan McCue
    Biden Presses Netanyahu to Slow Advance Toward Planned Rafah Operation

    WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden warned Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that a planned ground operation into Rafah — effectively... Read More

    WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden warned Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that a planned ground operation into Rafah — effectively Gaza’s last remaining city — would be a mistake and urged him to send a senior delegation of military leaders to Washington to discuss alternative approaches... Read More

    Hur Said Biden Couldn’t Recall When His Son Died. The Interview Transcript Is More Complicated

    WASHINGTON (AP) — The White House knew it had a political problem on its hands when a special counsel report questioned President... Read More

    WASHINGTON (AP) — The White House knew it had a political problem on its hands when a special counsel report questioned President Joe Biden’s memory last month, but Biden saw a much more personal affront as well. Robert Hur, who had been appointed to investigate whether Biden mishandled... Read More

    News From The Well
    scroll top