Senate GOP threatens to block vote on bipartisan infrastructure deal if talks aren’t completed

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“We need to see the bill before we vote on it,” Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell said. “I think this can be easily understood.”

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer is expected on Wednesday to hold the main test vote on the legislation, which does not yet exist, in order to urge Republican and Democratic negotiators to write it. In June, the White House and a bipartisan group of senators approved a $579 billion framework for building roads, bridges, railroads and airports, along with water, electricity and broadband infrastructure projects, but lawmakers have since struggled over how to pay for the massive investment. They made their task more difficult by agreeing to repeal a provision that would have strengthened the Internal Revenue Service’s ability to collect unpaid taxes, which would have collected up to $100 billion in government revenue. Multiple sources told CNN that infrastructure talks between the two parties will continue Monday evening via Zoom.

Republicans criticized Schumer for preparing for Wednesday’s procedural vote, and said he was trying to undermine negotiations. They are particularly reluctant to vote to introduce a bill cover before the Congressional Budget Office determines how much it will add to US debt.

Even negotiators are divided over how far apart they are. Democratic Senator of West Virginia, Joe Manchin, on Monday expressed confidence that they can quickly address their concerns about how to pay for the law before the vote.

“We should have done that tonight,” Manchin said.

But Senator Rob Portman, the Republican chief negotiator in the talks, said there were still more than a dozen issues to resolve, and argued that the group did not have enough time to negotiate an agreement. He suggested that the Senate should not vote on them until they did.

Portman said he didn’t know how much time the group would need, but said they were “going at a runner’s pace given the importance of that.” He said he was on Zoom calls with Democrats and Republicans until 10:15 p.m. ET Sunday night and began meetings at 7 a.m. ET Monday with members and the CBO.

“We are working as hard as we can,” he said. “I can’t imagine we’ll have a stroke vote on something that hasn’t been done yet. I mean, what are we going to vote on?”

Texas Republican Senator John Cornyn said he would oppose Wednesday’s vote, and emphasized that there would be no 10 Republicans to join all 50 Democrats in voting to begin a debate on the bill unless an agreement was reached.

“I don’t think they’ll get there,” Cornyn said. “Even bipartisan negotiators say they’re not ready and that’s really an arbitrary deadline.”

Schumer ignored Republican concerns. “There’s no reason why we can’t start voting next Wednesday, and that’s what we’re going to do,” he said Thursday.

Montana Democratic Senator John Tester agreed that Wednesday’s vote should take place.

“Yeah, I think that puts pressure on us to get some things done,” Tester said.

Democrats set up two-track negotiations to address the country’s infrastructure needs on a large scale. The first relates to the emerging bipartisan plan. The second is a $3.5 trillion Democratic bill that includes other priorities many Republicans oppose, such as introducing paid medical leave, family leave and possibly even reforming the country’s immigration system.

But some Democrats have been reluctant to pay for the Democrats-only bill.

Manchin declined to say on Monday whether he was comfortable with the huge number.

“I’m just trying to get more information tonight,” he said.

CNN’s Ali Zaslav and Ted Barrett contributed to this report.

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