House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy accused the Biden administration Friday of being "disingenuous" after the White House originally said it would supporting a scaled-down version of a bipartisan infrastructure package.
President Joe Biden later demanded the bill be tied to a separate budget reconciliation package.
"I think my members think they needed the chiropractor, because they got whiplash after watching the president yesterday say there was a deal, then say there was no deal," McCarthy told reporters at his weekly press conference.
"I don't think that's going to work, I don't think that's going to pass, and I think they killed any opportunity. I think it's disingenuous in every shape or form."
McCarthy added that the deal had elements that he was in favor of, and was surprised by the sudden switch.
"I thought that was very productive, and then I watched the president go out and say he came to an agreement, that's always positive as an American that we can find agreement, on both sides. ... I don't know what that agreement is if you say you can't have this unless you vote for another $5 trillion over here, and it has to be at the same time alongside it — that's no deal," McCarthy continued.
"And I think that's very difficult for a future Biden administration getting any agreement. Who can trust them?"
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell also commented, highlighting the potential to pass a deal waned after Biden's remarks Thursday.
''Less than two hours after publicly commending our colleagues and endorsing the bipartisan agreement, the president took the extraordinary step of threatening to veto it. It was a tale of two press conferences — endorse the agreement in one breath and threaten to veto it in the next. Less than two hours. It almost makes your head spin. An expression of bipartisanship, and then an ultimatum on behalf of your left-wing base,” McConnell said on the floor Thursday evening.
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