Democrats fear Mitch McConnell is stoking infrastructure 'infighting'


Mitch McConnell must smell blood in the water. Having previously seemed accepting of Democrats' two-track infrastructure strategy, the Senate minority leader now appears to be playing a different game — one in which "he's trying to drive a wedge between [President Biden] and congressional Democratic leaders," Politico writes.
Last week Biden threw the bipartisan infrastructure deal he had just helped negotiate into chaos when he threatened to veto it if unaccompanied by Democrats' more sweeping reconciliation bill. On Saturday, the White House tried to do damage control, issuing a statement walking back his threat, which only seemed to anger progressives and confuse everyone else.
Amidst this chaos McConnell struck, calling on Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) on Monday to ensure the passage of the bipartisan deal and reconciliation bill were no longer linked.
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.
"Unless Leader Schumer and Speaker Pelosi walk-back their threats that they will refuse to send the president a bipartisan infrastructure bill" if "trillions of dollars for unrelated tax hikes, wasteful spending, and Green New Deal socialism" are not also passed, "then President Biden's walk-back of his veto threat would be a hollow gesture," said McConnell.
Democratic lawmakers seem irked by the move. They told Politico the Republican master tactician, who claims he's "100 percent focusing on stifling Biden's agenda" and "undecided" on the bipartisan deal itself, is merely attempting to delay the bigger bill and force "infighting" among the party. Pelosi maintains she will not consider a bipartisan infrastructure deal until the Senate clears a larger spending package.
Regardless, McConnell's position still affords "major sway" over the GOP votes needed to pass a bipartisan deal, Politico notes.
Read more at Politico.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
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.
-
Hôtel du Couvent: a tranquil hideaway in the French Riviera
The Week Recommends Find pared-back luxury in the heart of Nice within the walls of a beautifully restored former nunnery
-
Introducing our new app
The Week has launched a newly redesigned mobile app to deliver a smarter, faster and more personal experience
-
Angela Rayner: Labour's next leader?
Today's Big Question A leaked memo has sparked speculation that the deputy PM is positioning herself as the left-of-centre alternative to Keir Starmer
-
Tied Supreme Court blocks church charter school
speed read The court upheld the Oklahoma Supreme Court's decision to bar overtly religious public charter schools
-
GOP megabill would limit judicial oversight of Trump
speed read The domestic policy bill Republicans pushed through the House would protect the Trump administration from the consequences of violating court orders
-
Judge scolds DOJ over Newark mayor arrest
speed read Ras Baraka was arrested during a May 9 surprise visit to a migrant detention facility
-
Trump lectures South Africa president on 'white genocide'
speed read Trump has cut off aid to South Africa over his demonstrably false genocide claims
-
Trump twists House GOP arms on megabill
speed read The bill will provide a $350 billion boost to military and anti-immigration spending and 'cuts to Medicaid, food stamps and green energy programs'
-
Trump DOJ said to pay $5M to family of Jan. 6 rioter
speed read The US will pay a hefty sum to the family of Capitol rioter Ashli Babbitt, who was fatally shot on January 6
-
Trump DOJ charging House Democrat in ICE fracas
speed read Rep. LaMonica McIver is being charged with assault over a clash outside an immigration detention facility in Newark
-
Biden diagnosed with aggressive prostate cancer
speed read The diagnosis hits close to home, as the former president 'dedicated much of his later career to cancer research'