Democrat Jacky Rosen becomes 22nd senator to back bipartisan infrastructure deal | TheHill – The Hill

The Senate's bipartisan infrastructuregang is expanding, with Sen. Jacky RosenJacklyn (Jacky) Sheryl RosenTime for Biden to issue executive order on antisemitism Senate passes resolution condemning recent rise in antisemitic attacks Progressives want to tighten screws beyond Manchin and Sinema MORE (D-Nev.) becomingits 22nd member.

Sen. Kyrsten SinemaKyrsten SinemaMcConnell vows 'hell of a fight' over Biden infrastructure plan The Hill's Morning Report - 2024 GOPers goal: Tread carefully, don't upset Trump Sinema emerges as Senate dealmaker amid progressive angst MORE's (D-Ariz.) indicated during an interview this week with Arizona radio station KTAR that the group, which she leads with GOP Sen. Rob PortmanRobert (Rob) Jones PortmanMcConnell vows 'hell of a fight' over Biden infrastructure plan Biden's high-wire political challenge: Deliver infrastructure and please the base The Hill's Morning Report - 2024 GOPers goal: Tread carefully, don't upset Trump MORE (Ohio), had gained a new member since mid-June, when 21 senators came out in support of the framework.

"We worked really hard ...to build a coalition that is half Democrat, half Republican. We now have 22 senators who are supporting this framework," Sinema said.

Rosen's office confirmed to The Hill that the Democratic senator, who is focused on thebroadband and airport components of the negotiations, had joined the group.

With Rosen joining the Senate gang isnow evenly split between 11 Democratic senators and 11 Republican senators.

In addition to Rosen, the House Problem Solvers Caucus also came out in support of the deal this week.

The core members of the Senate bipartisan group joined President BidenJoe BidenUS imposes air travel restriction to Belarus after arrest of opposition journalist TikTok names longtime Microsoft worker as top US lawyer Biden appeals for unity six months after Capitol riot MORE at the White House late last month to announce that they had reached a deal on a $1.2-trillion, over eight-year framework.

They are now working with the administration and a broader coalition of Senate colleagues to turn the framework into the legislation as they try to lock down the 60 votes needed for the bill to pass the Senate.

Sinema, during her interview with KTAR, said the bill focused on the "most dire needs" on infrastructure.

"We are working to craft this into legislation that is lean and effective," she said.

The group still faces hurdles to getting the bill to Biden's desk later this year.

Senate Majority Leader Charles SchumerChuck SchumerPride Month concludes without Equality Act vote in Senate Republicans should hit the reset button on Biden infrastructure deal The world is no longer fit for Sept. 11 war authorizations MORE (D-N.Y.) wants to vote this month on both the bipartisan plan and a budget resolution that paves the way for a separate, larger Democratic-only infrastructureplan.

But the bipartisan plan is facing skepticism from both Democrats and Republicans outside of the negotiating group about some of the suggested ways to pay for the spending.

"If that's credibly paid for, as opposed to adding it to the debt, I think there's a way forward on that portion of it," Senate GOP Leader Mitch McConnellAddison (Mitch) Mitchell McConnellOn The Money: McConnell vows 'hell of a fight' over Biden infrastructure plan | Democrats raise concerns with bipartisan bill Overnight Health Care: White House signals new COVID-19 strategy as delta variant spreads | McConnell urges vaccinations | Maryland says all COVID-19 deaths last month were among unvaccinated McConnell vows 'hell of a fight' over Biden infrastructure plan MORE (R-Ky.) said in Kentucky this week. "Maybe we'll get there."

But McConnell also pledged a "hell of a fight" over the larger Democratic only bill, which is expected to be multiple trillions of dollars.

Senate Republicans can't prevent Democrats from passing a larger bill on their own if Schumer has unity from all of his members. But they've also sent warning signs over threats by Democrats, particularly in the House, to hold up the bipartisan deal until they are able to pass the Democratic-only bill.

"There is a process by which they could pass this without a single Republican. But we're going to make it hard for them. And there are a few Democrats left in rural American and some others who would like to be more in the political center who may find this offensive," McConnell added about the Democratic-only bill.

Updated at 2:30 p.m.

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Democrat Jacky Rosen becomes 22nd senator to back bipartisan infrastructure deal | TheHill - The Hill