GOP’s Thune warns $3.5T deal ‘complicates’ bipartisan infrastructure bill

Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.) warned Wednesday that the Democratic agreement for a $3.5 trillion price tag for their party-line infrastructure bill “complicates” GOP support for a separate bipartisan deal.

“Having the budget resolution conversation around this complicates the issue and makes it clear what the Democrats ultimate objectives are and if able to achieve those, yeah, it creates a lot of heartburn for our members,” Thune told reporters.

He added that Democrats’ willingness to use reconciliation on a second Democratic-only bill “adds a context to the conversation around the [bipartisan] infrastructure bill that is not conducive to getting more Republican votes for it.”

Thune’s comments come after Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) and Budget Committee Democrats, led by Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), said they had agreed to a budget resolution with a $3.5 trillion price tag.

Democrats still need to sketch out many of the details and unify their members but the budget resolution will include instructions for passing a Democratic-only bill through reconciliation, which allows Democrats to bypass a GOP filibuster.

Democrats are pursuing a two-track infrastructure plan: On one path, a bipartisan group is drafting a $1.2 trillion plan, and on the other, Democrats will try to go it alone for their $3.5 trillion bill.

To pass the bipartisan bill, Democrats need the support of at least 10 Republican senators.

Schumer hasn’t said which he’ll move first. But Thune, on Wednesday, signaled the bipartisan deal should move first and encouraged Democratic leaders to avoid rhetorically linking the two issues or risk threatening GOP support.

“That does inevitably put downward pressure on Republican votes that might otherwise be there,” Thune said.