GOP senators "encouraged" after meeting with Biden on infrastructure

Washington — Much of Washington was focused this week on a closed-door meeting of House Republicans to oust one of its leaders and on President Biden's confab with the four top congressional leaders. But an Oval Office gathering on Thursday was perhaps the most critical event of the week, in terms of setting the capital's agenda for the next few months.

Six Republican senators — West Virginia's Shelley Moore Capito, Missouri's Roy Blunt, Wyoming's John Barrasso, Idaho's Mike Crapo, Pennsylvania's Pat Toomey and Mississippi's Roger Wicker — met with President Biden at the White House on Thursday afternoon to discuss a potential compromise on federal infrastructure spending. The six were invited because they're the top Republicans on committees overseeing spending, infrastructure, or transportation issues. The lawmakers said they left the Oval Office "encouraged" about the path forward, and said negotiations would continue. The congenial meeting seemed to be an indication that, despite significant divisions in Congress and concerns about Mr. Biden's multi-trillion dollar legislative agenda, it may still be possible to salvage a bipartisan agreement on some issues.