Republican senators praising Biden on infrastructure talks may have ulterior motives

Sen. Shelly Moore Capito
(Image credit: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

The handful of Republican senators negotiating an infrastructure-adjacent package with the White House have lots of nice things to say about President Biden. "I have had opportunities and dealings with him over the years, and he's a straight shooter," Sen. Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) told The Washington Post late last week. Sen. Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), the lead GOP negotiator, said Sunday she believes Biden "has his heart" in the talks, and she praised his "innate Senate negotiating skills" to the Post.

Biden "totally understands" what he's doing, Sen. Roy Blunt (R-Mo.) told the Post. "All of his training is as a senator who understands the importance of finding a place where everybody can be moving forward."

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Peter Weber, The Week US

Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.