俄亥俄州参议员罗布·波特曼周日说两党基础设施法案交易接近完成，并抨击众议院议长南希·佩洛西威胁推迟对谈判达成的协议进行投票，直到参议院通过和解通过一项更大的法案。
波特曼告诉美国广播公司《本周》主播乔治·斯特凡诺普洛斯:“我们已经完成了90%的工作——我对本周完成这项工作感到很高兴。
波特曼周日的乐观情绪表明，谈判自上周晚些时候以来有所改善。
民主党人正在幕后推动将部分资金从高速公路转移出去，以增加联邦政府对交通的资助。这位参议员对周四的谈判状况感到非常沮丧，他告诉记者，他们可能会从法案中完全取消高速公路资金。
波特曼周日说:“我们有一个悬而未决的问题，我们没有得到民主党人的太多回应——这是关于公共交通的问题。
佩洛西，在早些时候单独采访在“本周”节目中，她表示，她计划坚持自己的决定，即在参议院通过和解通过更大规模的基础设施一揽子计划之前，不就两党协议举行任何投票。
佩洛西说:“在我们掌握剩下的主动权之前，我不会把它放在地板上。
在参议院通过一个更大的和解方案之前，@SpeakerPelosi告诉@ GStephanopoulos:“在我们掌握剩下的主动权之前，我不会把它放在地板上。”https://t.co/iZ1iMz7RUbpic.twitter.com/hZpQ2wM2az
—本周(@本周ABC)2021年7月25日
“我对她说的话不满意，”波特曼后来说。“这不符合我们在两党基础上达成的协议。”
新:@senrobportman告诉@ gstephanopoulos，“我不高兴”@SpeakerPelosi美国计划推迟对两党基础设施一揽子计划的投票。GS:“这是否意味着我们最终将一无所有?”波特曼:“如果她有她的方式，我们可以。”https://t.co/GmUdzEVvv1pic.twitter.com/6EUv93e13v
—本周(@本周ABC)2021年7月25日
“这是否意味着我们最终将一无所有?”斯特凡诺普洛斯问波特曼。
“如果她有她的方式，我们可以，”波特曼回应道。“我不敢相信众议院议长会阻止它。”
谈判代表告诉美国广播公司新闻，两党的基础设施方案可能是准备再次投票早在周一。波特曼强调了该法案的受欢迎程度。
“87%的美国人认为我们应该做一个两党合作的基础设施一揽子计划。这是正确的做法。现代的每一位总统都谈到了这一点，”波特曼说。
波特曼还驳斥了关于该法案的谈判不是真正两党合作的批评。
《华尔街日报》昨天在社论版上对该交易进行了反对，称这是对两党合作的否定。他们写道:然而，到目前为止，该协议最引人注目的是，从各方面来看，这将是几十年来最片面的两党协议。
波特曼回应说:“每一个问题都是两党的，因为有共和党的观点和民主党的观点，我们找到了找到共同点的方法，这正是应该发生的事情。
。@senrobportman关于基础设施协议:“每一个问题都是两党的，因为有共和党的观点和民主党的观点，我们找到了找到共同点的方法，这正是应该发生的。”https://t.co/J18i2RxIXTpic.twitter.com/wxsBZgxzls
—本周(@本周ABC)2021年7月25日
斯特凡诺普洛斯还向波特曼施压，要求解释为什么共和党人威胁不投票支持提高债务上限，因为他们在前总统唐纳德·特朗普(Donald Trump)执政期间曾三次这样做。
债务上限暂停将于7月31日到期。参议院少数党领袖米奇·麦康奈尔。，周三告诉Punchbowl News，“我无法想象在我们经历了这些之后，会有一个共和党人投票提高债务上限，”尽管财政部长珍妮特·耶伦警告说，不提高债务上限将带来“灾难性的经济后果。”
波特曼回应说:“在每一任总统的领导下，都有一场讨论，讨论你实际上如何——如果你打算提高债务上限，如何——如何利用一些东西来影响债务，尤其是这个国家的长期债务。“我认为我们应该进行讨论。”
Portman slams Pelosi's threat to delay infrastructure vote
Sen. Rob Portman, R-Ohio, said Sunday that thebipartisan infrastructure billdeal is near completion and slammed House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's threat to hold off voting on the negotiated deal until a larger bill is passed through reconciliation by the Senate.
“We're about 90% of the way there -- I feel good about getting that done this week,” Portman told ABC "This Week" anchor George Stephanopoulos.
Portman's optimism on Sunday indicated that negotiations have improved since late last week.
Democrats were making a behind-the-scenes push to move some funding away from highways to increase federal funding for transit. The senator was so frustrated with the state of negotiations on Thursday that he told reporters they might just drop highway funding from the bill entirely.
"We have one issue outstanding and we're not getting much response from the Democrats on it -- it's about mass transit," Portman said Sunday.
Pelosi, in aseparate interview earlieron "This Week," said that she plans to stick with her decision to hold any vote on the bipartisan deal until after the Senate passes a larger infrastructure package through reconciliation.
"I won't put it on the floor until we have the rest of the initiative," Pelosi said.
Pressed on not holding a vote on infrastructure until the Senate passes a much larger package through reconciliation,@SpeakerPelositells@GStephanopoulos: "I won't put it on the floor until we have the rest of the initiative."https://t.co/iZ1iMz7RUbpic.twitter.com/hZpQ2wM2az
— This Week (@ThisWeekABC)July 25, 2021
"I'm not happy with what she said," Portman said later. "It's inconsistent with the agreement that we have on a bipartisan basis."
NEW:@senrobportmantells@gstephanopoulos, "I'm not happy" with@SpeakerPelosi's plan to hold off on a vote for the bipartisan infrastructure package.GS: "Does that mean we'll end up with nothing?"Portman: "If she has her way, we could."https://t.co/GmUdzEVvv1pic.twitter.com/6EUv93e13v
— This Week (@ThisWeekABC)July 25, 2021
"Does that mean we'll end up with nothing?" Stephanopoulos asked Portman.
"If she has her way, we could," Portman responded. "I can't believe the speaker of the House would be blocking it."
Negotiators told ABC News the bipartisan infrastructure package could beready to vote on againas early as Monday. Portman emphasized the popularity of the bill.
"Eighty-seven percent of the American people think we should do a bipartisan infrastructure package. It's the right thing to do. Every president in modern times has talked about it," Portman said.
Portman also rejected criticism that the negotiations on the bill are not truly bipartisan.
"The Wall Street Journal weighed in against the deal yesterday on their editorial page -- It says, taking the "bi" out of bipartisan. And they write: What's striking about the deal so far, however, is that by all appearances, this will be the most one-sided bipartisan deal in decades," Stephanopoulos said.
"Every single one of the issues has been bipartisan in the sense there have been Republican views and Democrat views and we found a way to find common ground, which is exactly what ought to happen," Portman responded.
.@senrobportmanon infrastructure deal: "Every single one of the issues has been bipartisan in the sense there have been Republican views and Democrat views and we found a way to find common ground, which is exactly what ought to happen."https://t.co/J18i2RxIXTpic.twitter.com/wxsBZgxzls
— This Week (@ThisWeekABC)July 25, 2021
Stephanopoulos also pressed Portman on why the Republicans are threatening not to vote in favor of raising the debt ceiling when they did so three times under former President Donald Trump.
The debt ceiling suspension is set to expire on July 31. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., told Punchbowl News on Wednesday, "I can't imagine there will be a single Republican voting to raise the debt ceiling after what we've been experiencing," despite a warning from Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen that failure to raise the debt ceiling would have "catastrophic economic consequences."
"Under every president there is a discussion of how you actually -- if you're going to raise the debt ceiling, how -- how to use something to affect the debt, particularly the long-term debt of this country," Portman responded. "And I think we ought to have that discussion."
