White House cranks up the pressure as infrastructure talks drag on

The White House is injecting new urgency into Joe Biden's protracted and so far inconclusive talks with Republicans on a bipartisan infrastructure package, as the President faces rising frustration within his own Democratic ranks.

But the delicate 50-50 balance in the Senate represents an inbuilt vulnerability in Biden's position, adding to uncertainty over whether Democrats can ram through a bigger, alternative plan if Republicans leave the table. The infrastructure showdown is a critical test of the President's promise to show that in a scorched earth environment in Washington, the two parties can make the political system work in a unified effort to help all Americans.