The underlying reason Biden's infrastructure veto threat shocked Republicans

President Biden's two-track infrastructure approach left Senate Republicans steaming — not because they were unaware of Democrats' game plan, but because they didn't think it would work.
As The Washington Post's Seung Min Kim suggests, GOP anger could be stemming from a failed strategic play, in which Republicans only supported the two-track strategy because they thought "disarray" among Democrats would kill a larger reconciliation bill before it arrived at Biden's desk. Such an argument was previously backed up by Politico.
But when Biden shattered that notion on Thursday, promising he wouldn't approve a bipartisan infrastructure package unless it was accompanied by a second bill full of Democratic priorities, GOP negotiators were quick to condemn the threat as a "bait-and-switch."
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

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.
Sen. Jerry Moran (R-Kansas) is reportedly now "wavering in his support" of the bipartisan deal and is asking Democratic negotiators Sens. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) and Krysten Sinema (D-Ariz.) to oppose the second bill. That move, Crooked Media's Brian Beutler argues, further brings the Republican long game — one maybe not as focused on bipartisanship as it appeared — to light.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Brigid Kennedy worked at The Week from 2021 to 2023 as a staff writer, junior editor and then story editor, with an interest in U.S. politics, the economy and the music industry.
-
How China is battling the chikungunya virus
Under The Radar Thousands of cases of the debilitating disease have been found in the country
-
Deep thoughts: AI shows its math chops
Feature Google's Gemini is the first AI system to win gold at the International Mathematical Olympiad
-
Book reviews: 'Face With Tears of Joy: A Natural History of Emoji' and 'Blood Harmony: The Everly Brothers Story'
Feature The surprising history of emojis and the brother duo who changed pop music
-
Trump picks conservative BLS critic to lead BLS
speed read He has nominated the Heritage Foundation's E.J. Antoni to lead the Bureau of Labor Statistics
-
Trump takes over DC police, deploys National Guard
Speed Read The president blames the takeover on rising crime, though official figures contradict this concern
-
Israel: Losing the American public
Feature A recent poll finds American support for Israel's military action in Gaza has fallen from 50% to 32%
-
Texas gerrymander battle spreads to other states
Feature If Texas adopts its new electoral map, blue states plan to retaliate with Democrat-favored districts
-
Trump sends FBI to patrol DC, despite falling crime
Speed Read Washington, D.C., 'has become one of the most dangerous cities anywhere in the world,' Trump said
-
Trump officials reinstating 2 Confederate monuments
Speed Read The administration has plans to 'restore Confederate names and symbols' discarded in the wake of George Floyd's 2020 murder
-
Trump nominates Powell critic for vacant Fed seat
speed read Stephen Miran, the chair of Trump's Council of Economic Advisers and a fellow critic of Fed chair Jerome Powell, has been nominated to fill a seat on the Federal Reserve Board of Governors
-
ICE scraps age limits amid hiring push
Speed Read Anyone 18 or older can now apply to be an ICE agent