Biden to meet with GOP Senator Shelley Moore Capito to discuss infrastructure deal

Washington — President Biden will meet Wednesday with Republican Senator Shelley Moore Capito, the leader of a group of Republican senators aiming to craft a deal with the president on legislation focused on revamping the nation's physical infrastructure. The meeting comes after Capito and her colleagues introduced a counteroffer on infrastructure last week amounting to nearly $1 trillion, which is still significantly less than Mr. Biden's $1.7 trillion proposal.

"The president is looking forward to hosting Senator Capito on Wednesday afternoon at the White House, where they will continue their bipartisan negotiations about investing in our middle class and economic growth through infrastructure," a White House official told CBS News. The meeting on Wednesday indicates the president's willingness to engage with Republicans on key priorities, although it's unclear how long negotiations will continue. Senate Democrats are already laying the groundwork to pass the larger infrastructure package through Congress using budget reconciliation, a process which would allow the measure to pass without any Republican votes.