President Biden was heading to the Capitol on Friday to huddle with his Democrats and try to salvage faltering bills for massive spending on infrastructure and social welfare, the White House said.
The visit follows a morning meeting of the House Democratic Caucus that failed to resolve the split in the party that has put in jeopardy both Mr. Biden’s $1.2 trillion infrastructure bill and his $3.5 trillion expansion of the social safety net.
The caucus meeting broke up around noon with no deal in sight and members talking about negotiating through the weekend.
On one side of the split are moderate Democrats leery of the giant spending bill but eager to approve $1.2 trillion of road, bridge, airport and public transit projects. That measure also has Republican support.
On the other side, the party’s progressive wing doesn’t want to let the infrastructure spending pass without an iron-clad deal to get the social welfare and climate change programs approved.
Rep. Pramila Jayapal of Washington state, leader of the House Democrats’ left wing, said there was some tension during the meeting.
Rep. Angie Craig, Minnesota Democrat, emerged from the closed-door powwow and said she saw one bright side to the infighting.
“We didn’t use any swear words in the meeting this morning,” she said. “That’s always good.”
At least one moderate House Democrat, Rep. Henry Cuellar of Texas, predicted a deal to vote on a $1.2 trillion infrastructure package would not happen on Friday, despite assurance from House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
“It won’t happen today,” Mr. Cuellar said as he left the caucus meeting.
Mrs. Pelosi, California Democrat, has broken promises made to moderates for a vote Monday and then Thursday, delaying it each time because there were not enough Democratic votes to pass it.
The Democrats planned to meet again Friday afternoon. A top House Democrat said he believes Mr. Biden’s visit is a sign that intensive negotiations over the past 48 hours are close to producing an agreement.
“I think we are going to close the deal,” said Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, New York Democrat.
On the other side of the Capitol, White House negotiations were expected to continue with moderate Democratic Sens. Joe Manchin III of West Virginia and Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona. They’ve been the chief obstacle to passing the massive spending bill, which they insist is too expensive.
Negotiators said Friday the larger proposal could be scaled back to roughly $2.1 trillion.
Democrats need the support all 50 of their members in the Senate to force the bill through the chamber.
Ms. Jayapal, chairwoman of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, vowed that progressives would vote down the infrastructure package unless moderates allow the larger social welfare and climate package to pass.
“The reason I want to vote is because I want to be assured that there is no delay and that there’s no misunderstandings about what we agreed to,” she said.
Mr. Manchin on Thursday said he would not agree to spending more than $1.5 trillion, less than half of what Mr. Biden and liberal Democrats want.