After conducting closed-door negotiations for weeks, Biden appeared before the media at the White House on Thursday, accompanied by an equal number of Democratic and Republican lawmakers, to proudly announce a bipartisan infrastructure agreement totaling $1.2 trillion over eight years. This deal could solidify his reputation as a leader who can work across party lines. Biden and his top advisers had successfully reached a limited agreement with centrist senators to repair roads and bridges while also indicating to progressives that he planned to support a separate, likely Democrat-backed measure to allocate additional funds for climate initiatives, education, child care, and other economic priorities. This moment served as validation for a president who is confident in his ability to navigate legislative negotiations. However, during a later news conference, Biden unexpectedly stated that he would not sign the compromise bill without the partisan one, emphasizing the importance of his broader legislative agenda. "I am not just going to sign the bipartisan bill and then move on. This statement may not seem significant, but it disrupted Biden's moment of bipartisan pride. While it pleased liberals in his party, it made clear to centrist senators and Republicans that Biden planned to sign a more ambitious bill and would potentially veto their bipartisan plan if the larger bill did not come to fruition. Senator Susan Collins, a key negotiator, expressed surprise at this linkage, as they had always known there would be another bill but had not realized the success of the infrastructure package would be tied to it. The White House spent over 24 hours trying to manage the fallout, with top advisers reaching out to senators from both parties." On Friday, the president's spokesperson attempted to distance the administration from his comments in a subtle manner. However, this was not enough. By Saturday, with lawmakers and aides still upset and the chances of a legislative victory appearing to decrease, Biden acknowledged that he had misspoken. The incident did not seem to jeopardize the deal, but Biden confessed that his remarks on Thursday gave the impression that he was threatening to veto the plan he had just agreed to, which was not his intention. The agreement Biden celebrated on Thursday seemed to be a major success initially, as he had promised voters he could pass legislation that was both progressive and bipartisan. It took weeks to bring together Sens. Rob Portman and Kyrsten Sinema, along with eight other centrist colleagues, to brainstorm a bipartisan framework similar to the successful $900 billion coronavirus relief bill passed in December. Sinema emphasized the time and effort spent on the challenging aspects of the discussions rather than the easier tasks. The talks were overshadowed by the possibility of liberal Democrats using reconciliation to avoid the 60-vote filibuster threshold. Tensions escalated during the meetings, prompting the senators to invite top Biden advisers such as Steve Ricchetti, Brian Deese, and Louisa Terrell. They spent days negotiating in the Capitol, with Sinema even attending on crutches after breaking her foot in a marathon. They ordered pizza, salads, and wine while haggling in back rooms. Portman's hideaway became so crowded that a staffer had to secure a fan. Ricchetti even went around pouring wine for each senator during a late-night session. Tensions rose as they debated how to fund the framework without raising taxes or implementing user fees for drivers. The centrist senators later attended a funeral with Biden before returning for more meetings. Senator Mark Warner, who is not related to John Warner but considered him a friend, asked himself, "What would John Warner do?" He believed that John Warner would have persevered. Almost everyone in the room had a similar reflection. Around 7 pm, the 10 senators announced that they had a framework and planned to meet with the White House the following day. The plan was to work together in unity. This moment was seen as a validation for President Biden, who had been confident in his ability to navigate tough legislative negotiations. Biden's team hoped that by reaching a bipartisan agreement, they would 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, were hoping to block the larger bill by persuading moderate Democrats that the more limited infrastructure bill was sufficient. Lawmakers and Biden saw this as an important opportunity to demonstrate that the government could still effectively operate. Senator Jon Tester warned that failure would highlight the dysfunction of the government. Senator Warner emphasized the significance of the message this would send to the American people and the rest of the world, particularly in the aftermath of January 6. Progressive lawmakers were concerned that the limited bill would hinder a larger one. On Thursday morning, Senator Chuck Schumer addressed these concerns on the Senate floor, reassuring everyone about the plan he and Speaker Nancy Pelosi had coordinated with the president. Schumer emphasized that both efforts are connected and cannot be separated. Pelosi also agrees that both initiatives must be passed together in order to secure enough votes. Biden also expressed his commitment to working with Pelosi and Schumer to ensure both bills move through the legislative process simultaneously. Let me make it clear, and at the same time. Democrats were anticipating a statement like that. However, they were surprised by Biden's next move. During a news conference in the East Room, a reporter asked for clarification: "Mr. President, you mentioned that you want both of these measures to come to you 'in tandem.' Did you receive any assurances that this would happen?" Biden responded by saying he anticipated that Congress would work on passing both the bipartisan infrastructure measure and the larger Democratic bill simultaneously, echoing Schumer's previous remarks. He then took it a step further, stating, "But if only one bill is presented to me, I will not sign it." "It happened at the same time." Senators left Washington for a two-week recess on Thursday afternoon, and it wasn't until later in the evening that some negotiators saw Biden's comments, which Republicans viewed as a veto threat. Senators and their staff started communicating with 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 some time. On Saturday, Biden admitted his mistake as lawmakers and aides indicated they would continue with writing text and gaining support. "The main point is this," he said. "I promised to back the infrastructure plan, and I plan to follow through on that promise. I will work diligently to see the plan, which received bipartisan support on Thursday, passed. This plan will benefit the economy, our country, and our citizens. I am fully committed to supporting it wholeheartedly and without any doubts."  ©2021 The New York Times Company.