The White House is meeting with the bipartisan House Problem Solvers Caucus on Wednesday as President Joe Biden tries to gather Republican support for his expansive infrastructure package.
The meeting, first reported by Axios, follows a push from the Biden administration to secure more than just Democratic votes after the president’s $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief package passed along party lines. Though Republicans have said that there is room for bipartisanship on infrastructure, none have said that they will support the bill as written.
“The American people want us to work together across party lines,” New Jersey Democratic Rep. Josh Gottheimer, one of the caucus’s co-chairs, told Axios. “We actually have to use our bipartisan muscles or they will continue to atrophy.” (RELATED: Joe Manchin Says He’ll Block Infrastructure Bill If It’s Passed With No Attempt At Bipartisanship)
Rep. Tom Reed and Rep. Josh Gottheimer, then-co-chairs of the bipartisan Problem Solvers Caucus, hold a news conference with fellow members of Congress to highlight the need for bipartisan, bicameral COVID-19 relief legislation. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
Gottheimer and Pennsylvania Republican Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick, the other co-chair, are expected to attend.
The caucus was central in overcoming the months-long stalemate over another stimulus bill last year, and has said that it hopes to have an active role in creating bipartisan policy during Biden’s presidency. It wrote a letter to Biden in March detailing its priorities, including COVID-19, infrastructure, immigration, the national debt, energy and election security.
“There are many issues where we have and can find common ground and work together on behalf of the American people,” the letter said. “We would greatly appreciate an opportunity to continue the conversation and discuss further how we can partner with your Administration to pass important legislation and help the American people during this critical time.”
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