Biden courts Hill leaders

President calls for compromise but quick deal unlikely

President Joe Biden met Wednesday with the four congressional leaders at the White House for the first time and said he wants to reach a compromise on an infrastructure plan, but expectations for a quick deal remain slim despite his history of working with Republicans.

This first formal Oval Office meeting for the group — and for Biden and Senate Republican leader Mitch Mcconnell of Kentucky — brought together those two deal-makers at a dramatically different political and economic time than in their past talks as Biden pushes his $4 trillion jobs and families proposals.

“When I ran, I said I wasn’t going to be a Democratic president, I was going to be president for all Americans,” Biden said at the start of the nearly two-hour session.

Referring to the gap between his ambitious proposals and what Republicans say they are willing to consider, the president said: “We are going to see if we can reach some consensus on a compromise.”

Asked by a reporter how he expected to do that, Biden quipped: “Easy, just snap my fingers, it’ll happen.”

The gathering brought together House Speaker Nancy Pelosi of California, Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer of New York and House Republican leader Kevin Mccarthy of California. Vice President Kamala Harris sat next to Biden.

Afterward, Republican leaders characterized the meeting as productive, but insisted they were only eyeing a much smaller package. They told Biden they will refuse to reverse the 2017 corporate tax cuts to pay for it.

“That’s our red line,” Mcconnell said outside the White House. “There is certainly a bipartisan desire to get an outcome.”

Republicans have balked at the size of Biden’s irastructure plan, which moves beyond roads and bridges to expand child care options and other return-to-work priorities, and his idea to pay for it with tax increases on the wealthy and corporations.

Mcconnell has indicated a much smaller package of no more than $800 billion, funded by gas taxes and other fees on users, is within reach for Republicans.

In recent days, Biden has said he was willing to negotiate the size of the overall investment and the tax increases to pay for it.

Nicholas Kamm / Getty Imagess Senate Minority Leader Mitch Mcconnell, right, listens as House Minority Leader Kevin Mccarthy speaks to the press, following their meeting with President Joe Biden and Democratic congressional leaders at the White House on Wednesday.