After weeks of private discussions, Biden appeared before the media at the White House on Thursday, standing alongside both Democratic and Republican lawmakers, to proudly announce an infrastructure agreement worth $1.2 trillion over eight years. This deal could solidify his reputation as a bipartisan negotiator. Biden and his team had reached a preliminary agreement with centrist senators to focus on rebuilding roads and bridges, while also hinting to progressives that he planned to support a separate measure for spending on climate, education, child care, and other economic priorities. Despite his confidence in his ability to navigate legislative talks, Biden made a slip during a press conference, stating that he would not sign the compromise bill without the partisan one. He emphasized that he would need both bills to be presented to him. "I'm not just going to sign the bipartisan bill and move on," Biden's statement disrupted his moment of bipartisan pride. While it may have pleased liberals, it upset centrist senators and Republicans by suggesting he would only sign their plan if a larger bill was also passed. Senator Susan Collins, a key negotiator, expressed surprise at this linkage between the two bills, which had not been previously mentioned. The White House spent over 24 hours trying to address the fallout, with advisors contacting senators from both parties. On Friday, the president's spokesperson attempted to distance the administration from his remarks in a gentle manner. However, this was not sufficient. By Saturday, with lawmakers and aides still upset and the chance of a legislative victory diminishing, Biden acknowledged that he had misspoken. The controversy did not seem to have jeopardized the deal, but Biden confessed that his statements on Thursday gave the impression that he was threatening to veto the very plan he had just agreed to. This was not his intention, he clarified. The agreement that Biden had praised on Thursday initially appeared to be a significant success for a president who had pledged to pass legislation that was both progressive and bipartisan. It took weeks to put together a bipartisan framework involving Sens Rob Portman and Kyrsten Sinema and eight other centrist colleagues. They aimed to replicate the success of passing a $900 billion coronavirus relief bill in December. Sinema described the easy tasks as quick to complete, while the difficult ones required more time and attention. The possibility of liberal Democrats using reconciliation to bypass the filibuster threshold added tension to the meetings, which eventually led to inviting top Biden advisers Steve Ricchetti, Brian Deese, and Louisa Terrell to join the discussions. For several days, they moved back and forth across the Capitol, even Sinema, who had injured her foot while running a marathon and had to use crutches. They negotiated in private rooms, often having pizza, salads, and wine delivered. Portman's hideaway became so crowded with extra staff that an aide to Sen Mitt Romney had to go through Senate red tape to get a fan for the room. During a late-night session, Ricchetti decided to serve wine to each senator personally, according to two sources. Tensions rose as senators argued over how to fund the plan, with Republicans against raising taxes and the White House against driver user fees. On Wednesday, many centrist senators attended a funeral for former Sen John Warner of Virginia with Biden before returning to the Capitol for final meetings, with thoughts of bipartisan agreements in mind. Sen Mark Warner, who is not related to John Warner but considered him a friend, pondered what John Warner would do in a situation. He believed that most people in the room had also reflected on this. The 10 senators emerged around 7 pm with a unified message: they had a framework and planned to go to the White House the following day. The plan was to go in tandem after weeks of closed-door negotiations. This moment seemed to validate a president who was confident in his ability to navigate tough legislative negotiations, despite concerns from his own party that the talks were becoming difficult for his economic goals. Biden's team hoped that by achieving a bipartisan agreement, they could gain the support of centrist Democratic senators for a larger bill addressing various liberal priorities, funded by tax increases on corporations and the wealthy. Some Republicans, encouraged by business leaders, tried to halt the comprehensive bill by persuading moderate Democrats that the more limited infrastructure bill was sufficient. Lawmakers and Biden believed it was a crucial moment to demonstrate that the government could still operate effectively. Senator Jon Tester warned that failure would highlight the dysfunction within the government. Senator Mark Warner emphasized the importance of the message it would send to both Americans and international observers. Progressive lawmakers had concerns that the limited bill would prevent the passage of a larger bill. Senator Chuck Schumer addressed these concerns on the Senate floor, emphasizing the plan he and Speaker Nancy Pelosi had devised with the president. Schumer emphasized the connection between the two efforts and stated that Speaker Pelosi also agrees that both must be done together. It is understood by all parties involved that in order to pass either, there must be enough votes to pass both. Biden also expressed his commitment to working with Pelosi and Schumer to ensure that both initiatives progress through the legislative process together and quickly. Biden made it clear that he wanted both the bipartisan infrastructure measure and the bigger Democratic bill to be passed together. He stated that if only one bill was presented to him for signing, he would not approve it. "It's happening at the same time." Senators left Washington on Thursday afternoon for a two-week recess for Fourth of July, and it wasn't until later in the evening that some of the negotiators saw Biden's comments, which Republicans saw as an implicit veto threat. Senators and their staff members started texting and calling each other and the White House. Liberal Democrats dismissed the Republican frustration and accused them of looking for a reason to oppose the deal, even though the Democrats' pursuit of reconciliation had been public for a long time. On Saturday, Biden admitted his mistake as lawmakers and aides indicated they would continue with writing text and securing support. "The bottom line is this," he said. "I promised to back the infrastructure plan and I plan to follow through on that promise. I will push for the passage of the plan that both Democrats and Republicans agreed on with determination. This plan is beneficial for the economy, our nation, and our citizens. I wholeheartedly support it without any doubts or delays." (The New York Times, 2021)