GOP senators suggest bipartisan infrastructure deal in place, vote looms

The long bipartisan infrastructure saga may be heading toward the finish line.

Sen. Rob Portman (R-Ohio) announced Wednesday that negotiators have reached an agreement on the $1.2 trillion plan's "major issues" and "are prepared to move forward" after weeks of back and forth. Other GOP sources reportedly confirmed the news, but there hasn't been word from the Democrat's side yet, however. Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.) said she isn't sure if everything's locked up yet.

Meanwhile, details remain scarce, though some are beginning to trickle out.

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up

If Portman's assessment is accurate, a procedural vote looms, perhaps as early as Wednesday afternoon. There's no guarantee it will pass, but Portman seemed hopeful that they'll get the 60 votes to advance it after he and Sens. Mitt Romney (R-Utah), Susan Collins (R-Maine), Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), and Bill Cassidy (R-La.) met with Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) earlier in the day.

Assuming all 50 Democrats and the five Republicans who were involved in the negotiations are on board, the Senate needs five more GOP lawmakers to join them. Sens. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) and Richard Burr (R-N.C.) have already hinted they'll be among that group, and Portman described McConnell as "open-minded."