INFRASTRUCTURE MOMENT OF TRUTH
By Lisa Desjardins, @LisaDNews
Correspondent

Today, after weeks of careful, closed-door talks between Democrats and Republicans, Congress and the White House, 10 Senators trying to stitch together a bipartisan deal on infrastructure met their first major test: Taking the deal to the other lawmakers in the chamber.

The senators behind the plan? Five Republicans and five Democrats, including Sens. Mitt Romney, R-Utah; Bill Cassidy, R-La.; Susan Collins, R-Maine; Rob Portman, R-Ohio; Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska; Joe Manchin III, D-W.Va.; Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H.; Kyrsten Sinema, D-Ariz.; Jon Tester, D-Mont.; and Mark R. Warner, D-Va.

Here is what we learned following that meeting.

What’s in the “Gang of 10” proposal:

• $579 billion in new spending on infrastructure over five years
• This is largely focused on physical infrastructure: roads, bridges, railways, broadband.
• Roughly $10 billion for electric vehicle charging stations
• A “revolving fund” to help fuel public/private partnerships to support infrastructure needs long term

How they’re paying for it: 

• Increasing enforcement at IRS (net $63 billion)
• Unspent COVID money (more than $100 billion)
• Indexing the gas tax to inflation ($291 billion)
• New electric vehicle user fees (TBA)

Does this have support?

• In general, senators emerged from their meetings with hopeful tones. Few expressed firm opposition.
• Republicans most notably had warm words for what they heard. “I’m intrigued,” said Sen. Mike Crapo, R-Idaho. “It’s not a no,” said a smiling Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, who also said she was “intrigued.”  
• Democrats largely kept the door open, but more spoke of concerns. Some progressives want more money for electric vehicle stations and other efforts to combat climate change. Others think changes to the gas tax are a mistake and the plan should be funded by increasing taxes on corporations or the wealthy. 
• A key issue coming up for Democrats: If they pass a bipartisan infrastructure bill, will they then be able to pass a separate plan that includes many of the programs and goals left out of this deal, like Biden proposals aimed at recrafting child care and other social structures? Democrats want a guarantee that they can do both a bipartisan infrastructure plan and a partisan plan for everything else later. 

What now?

• Democratic Senate Leader Chuck Schumer is keeping his options open.
• Schumer will meet Wednesday with Democrats on the Senate Budget Committee to talk about the “reconciliation” process, which is the likely means for any separate, larger Democratic bill. 
• Much attention will be on key swing votes. Sixty votes would be needed to pass a bipartisan infrastructure deal. 
• The Biden administration told House Democrats today that they will give the Senate bipartisan plan roughly seven to 10 days, to see if it can take shape and get real political footing. 

FIVE OVERLOOKED POLITICAL STORIES FROM THE PAST WEEK
By Ian Couzens, @iancouzenz
Politics production assistant

New law vaults Nevada to front of presidential primary line, inviting pushback June 11. Citing Iowa’s problem-plagued caucuses in 2020 and the fact that the populations of early states New Hampshire and Iowa are primarily white, Democrats in Nevada pushed through a law trading their in-person caucuses for primaries earlier in the year. Why it matters: While the law could entirely change primary season by knocking Iowa out of first place and thus reducing the importance of the results there, it could also backfire. National parties will have to agree to calendar changes or state parties could risk losing their delegates at the next set of national conventions. The vote could also set off a flurry of legislation in other states to try to bump up their primaries. -- The Los Angeles Times

Op Ed: The U.S. needs to learn from its TPP mistake - and get its seat back at the table. June 13. Two high-profile U.S. senators, Tom Carper, D-Del., and John Cornyn, R-Texas, are calling for the U.S. to consider rejoining talks around the TransPacific Partnership (TPP), the largest regional trade deal in world history. Why it matters: The TPP is a mammoth economic engine, designed to combat growing Chinese power in the Asia-Pacific rim. Facing populist backlash, Republicans and Democrats alike backed the U.S. pulling out of the deal in 2017. Both rejoining or continuing to stay out of the deal have significant consequences for the country. -- Washington Post

The Evangelical Politician Who Doesn’t Recognize His Faith—Or His Party. June 8. Former Gov. Bill Haslam is an evangelical Christian and comes from a long line of centrist Tennessean politicians. At a time when his party, his state and his religion are moving further to the right, whether there’s still a place for him in the political landscape is unclear. Why it matters: Haslam doesn’t align politically with Trumpism and doesn’t align with what he says is a tendency among Christians to conflate politics with faith, and in this interview offers unique insights into his party and members of his faith, who have become the GOP’s core demographic. -- The Atlantic

Jill Biden also has a message on a jacket. Will Europe get it? June 11. While people close to the first lady say she is happy performing the traditional tasks that accompany the role, she is also steadfast on modernizing the role not only for herself, but future first ladies. Why it matters: President Joe Biden’s team has used his trip to Europe to send the message that the Trump years of acrimonious relations with U.S. allies in Europe are over, and Jill Biden is playing a critical part in that messaging. -- Politico 

Unaccompanied Mexican children expelled at border without adequate screening, report says. June 12. The report from Amnesty International claims that the Biden administration has been using the Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act to send children from Mexico back before they have gone through proper screening, while at the same time allowing unaccompanied minors from Central America and other countries to stay and seek refuge. Why it matters: The report comes months after Biden promised to stop the practice of deporting unaccompanied minors, but the White House confirmed that the repatriations are the current administration policy. -- Arizona Republic 



#POLITICSTRIVIA
By Tess Conciatori, @tkconch 
Politics associate producer

On this day in 1775, the second Continental Congress unanimously voted to make George Washington the commander in chief of the revolutionary army, about two months after the war broke out. 

Our question: Which fellow founding father originally nominated Washington for the post? 

Send your answers to [email protected] or tweet using #PoliticsTrivia. The first correct answers will earn a shout-out next week.

Last week, we asked: Which former president was the distant cousin of Barbara Bush? 

The answer: Franklin Pierce. 

Barbara Bush, born Barbara Pierce, was fourth cousin four times removed to the 14th president, Franklin Pierce. The familial tie runs through Bush’s seventh great grandfather, Thomas Pierce, Jr., who was also the third great grandfather of Pierce. 

Congratulations to our winners: Bob Schmid and Lorna Grenadier!

Thank you all for reading and watching. We’ll drop into your inbox next week.