两名帮助协商两党基础设施协议的关键参议员周日表示，他们被解除总统职务乔·拜登再次确认了他签署两党协议的承诺。

“我很高兴看到总统澄清了他的言论，因为这与我们一路上被告知的一切都不一致，”俄亥俄州共和党参议员罗布·波特曼告诉美国广播公司《本周》联合主播乔纳森·卡尔。

通过谈判达成的1.2万亿美元基础设施交易出现处于危险之中周五，不到一天前，拜登和包括波特曼和弗吉尼亚州民主党参议员乔·曼钦在内的白宫两党参议员小组对此进行了吹捧。

杰奎琳·马丁/美联社

乔·拜登总统，从左至右依次是俄亥俄州参议员罗布·波特曼、缅因州参议员苏珊·科林斯和南卡罗来纳州参议员罗伯特·波特曼...

在一个冗长的语言周六，总统试图澄清一个感知的最后通牒他对基础设施协议的支持取决于通过和解达成的独立美国家庭计划。他说，他将基础设施协议与美国家庭计划联系起来的言论“给人的印象是，我正在对我刚刚同意的计划发出否决威胁，这肯定不是我的意图。”

波特曼周日说:“我们都被前一天关于这两项法案有关联的评论弄糊涂了。”。

尽管拜登的澄清可能安抚了共和党人，他们表示不会支持与增税有关的基础设施一揽子计划，但进步的民主党人仍然坚定不移地通过一项单独的法案，该法案基于拜登在儿童保育、医疗保健和教育方面进行重大投资的计划——利用和解，只需要参议院50票。

“如果进步人士不能保证更大的法案也获得通过，你确定他们会支持你的两党法案吗?”卡尔在“本周”的一次单独的独家采访中向曼钦施压

“我当然希望如此。我希望他们只是看看账单，”曼钦回应道。“我们有两条轨道。这正是我相信将要发生的事情。我们在一条轨道上工作。我们要走第二条轨道。需求非常多。”

卡尔还问这位温和的民主党人，他是否会支持伯尼·桑德斯参议员提出的6万亿美元的和解法案。

“我想确保我们为此付出代价。我不想增加更多的债务，”曼钦回应道。“因此，如果这是1万亿美元、1.5万亿美元或2万亿美元——无论结果是10年以上——那就是我会投的票。”

曼钦还吹捧说，这是美国历史上最大的基础设施一揽子计划，国会“绝对”可以通过一项基础设施协议，拜登将签署这项协议。

曼钦早些时候说:“我从来没有怀疑过(拜登)急于通过这项法案并让他签字，我期待着他签字时在场。”

波特曼告诉卡尔:“很明显，我们可以推进一项两党法案，这项法案不仅在国会议员中广受欢迎，而且在美国人民中也很受欢迎。”。

他补充说，在整个过程中，谈判双方都有诚意。

曼钦说，需要有一种方法来增加联邦对人类基础设施的资金，并指出提高企业税率是一种可能的解决方案。

“我从来没想过公司税净额应该是21%。总觉得25分很公平，很平衡。所以我愿意上25。我认为，基本上，资本利得应该是28%，而不是21%。

卡尔还询问了曼钦对阻挠议事的立场。

“你为什么不画一条红线，说，听着，如果你们不继续下去，我就去支持废除阻挠议案?”卡尔问道。

“我不希望这发生在任何人身上，”曼钦说，但没有直接承认阻挠议事。“我告诉人们，我对财政负责，对社会富有同情心。”

“我愿意和大家各让一半。如果共和党人不想对税法进行调整——我认为这是加权和不公平的——那么我愿意和解。这就是你能做到的，”曼钦补充道。

由于两党协议的重点是硬基础设施，如道路、桥梁和水路的融资，曼钦和波特曼同意它可以而且应该得到国会的批准。

“这是你能与对方合作的争议最小的事情。如果你在这里失败了，它会说什么?我的意思是，如果你甚至不能在这个问题上达成一致?”卡尔问波特曼。

“还有很长的路要走，”波特曼回应道。“但你说得对，基础设施是不同的。我们不是在谈论医疗保健或税收。我们在谈论一些得到广泛支持的事情。这才是最重要的——人们希望我们能有所作为。”

2 key bipartisan senators relieved with Biden's clarification on infrastructure

Two key senators who helped negotiate a bipartisan infrastructure deal said Sunday that they are relieved PresidentJoe Bidenreconfirmed his commitment to sign the bipartisan deal.

"I was very glad to see the president clarify his remarks because it was inconsistent with everything that we had been told all along the way," Sen. Rob Portman, R-Ohio, told ABC "This Week" co-anchor Jonathan Karl.

Passage of the negotiated $1.2 trillioninfrastructure dealappearedto be in jeopardyFriday, less than a day after it was touted by Biden and a bipartisan group of senators at the White House, including Portman and Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va.

In alengthy statementon Saturday, the president attempted to clarify aperceived ultimatumthat his support of the infrastructure deal was dependent on the passage of the separate American Families Plan through reconciliation. He said his comments linking the infrastructure deal and the American Families Plan "created the impression that I was issuing a veto threat on the very plan I had just agreed to, which was certainly not my intent."

"We were all blindsided by the comments the previous day which were that these two bills were connected," Portman said Sunday.

Although Biden's clarifications may have soothed the Republicans who have said they would not support an infrastructure package that was linked to raising taxes, progressive Democrats remain firm in their stance to pass a separate bill -- based on Biden's plan to make significant investments in childcare, health care and education -- using reconciliation, which would only require 50 votes in the Senate.

"Are you sure progressives are going to support your bipartisan bill if they don't get a guarantee on something bigger also passing?" Karl pressed Manchin in a separate, exclusive interview on "This Week."

"I sure hope so. I hope they just look at the bill," Manchin responded. "We have two tracks. And that's exactly what I believe is going to happen. And we've worked on the one track. We're going to work on the second track. There's an awful lot of need."

Karl also asked the moderate Democrat whether he would support the $6 trillion reconciliation bill proposed by Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt.

"I want to make sure we pay for it. I do not want to add more debt on," Manchin responded. "So if that's $1 trillion or $1.5 trillion or $2 trillion -- whatever that comes out to be over a 10-year period -- that's what I would be voting for."

Manchin also touted the fact that this is the largest infrastructure package in U.S. history and that there "absolutely" is an infrastructure deal Congress can pass and that Biden will sign.

"There has never been a doubt in my mind that (Biden) is anxious for this bill to pass and for him to sign it, and I look forward to being there when he does," Manchin said earlier.

"It's very clear that we can move forward with a bipartisan bill that's broadly popular not just among members of Congress, but the American people," Portman told Karl.

He added that there's been good faith on both sides of the negotiating table throughout the process.

Manchin said that there needs to be a way to increase federal funding for human infrastructure and pointed to an increase of the corporate tax rate as a possible solution.

"I never thought that the net corporate tax should have been 21%. I always felt that 25 was very fair and balanced. So I'm willing to go to 25. I think that basically, capital gains should be at 28%, not at 21," Manchin said.

Karl also asked Manchin about his stance on the filibuster.

"Why don't you draw a redline and say, look, if you guys don't move on this, I'm going to go and endorse doing away with the filibuster?" Karl asked.

"I don't wish this on anybody," Manchin said without directly acknowledging the filibuster. "I tell people, I'm fiscally responsible and socially compassionate."

"I'm willing to meet everybody halfway. If Republicans don't want to make adjustments to a tax code -- which I think is weighted and unfair -- then I'm willing to go reconciliation. That's how you're able to do it," Manchin added.

With the bipartisan deal focused on hard infrastructure, such as funding roads, bridges and waterways, Manchin and Portman agreed it can and should be approved by Congress.

"This is the least controversial thing that you could be working on with the other party. What does it say if you fail here? I mean, if you can't even come to an agreement on this?" Karl asked Portman.

"There's still a long way to go," Portman responded. "But you're right, infrastructure is different. We're not talking about health care or taxes. We're talking about something where there's broad support. And that's what matters -- is that people are looking for us to get something done."