| It’s crunch time for infrastructure talks this week as negotiators try to hammer out the details of the nearly $1 trillion bipartisan proposal and await word on whether President Biden will support it. The G-21 framework, which would spend $979 billion over five years, is backed by 11 Senate Republicans and 10 Senate Democrats, but questions center around the pay-fors in the package. The lion’s share of attention remains on a provision that would index the gas tax to inflation. The White House opposes such a move, which it classifies as a tax increase on middle-class Americans. Negotiators indicated on Sunday that the ball is in the White House’s court to come up with a new way to pay for the package, which includes $579 billion in new monies. “We understand that the administration has very strong views on that,” Sen. Rob Portman (R-Ohio) told “Meet the Press” about the provision. “But the administration, therefore, will need to come forward with some other ideas without raising taxes.” Over eight years, the blueprint includes $1.2 trillion in funding for roads, bridges, broadband and water projects. The Hill: Portman: Republicans are “absolutely” committed to bipartisan infrastructure bill. The Sunday Shows: Infrastructure, voting rights in the spotlight. The New York Times: Bipartisan infrastructure talks collide with Democrats’ goal to tax the rich. Another key question facing the future of negotiations is where Biden stands. As The Wall Street Journal notes, Biden was set to review the bill over the weekend, having landed back in the U.S. late last week after the first foreign trip of his presidency. Republicans on Sunday called on the president to become more involved in negotiations, which were largely led at the congressional level while Biden was overseas. “President Biden, if you want an infrastructure deal of a trillion dollars, it is there for the taking, you just need to get involved and lead,” Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) told “Fox News Sunday.” “You’ve got a Republican party that’s willing to meet you in the middle.” As The Hill’s Alexander Bolton writes, the ongoing infrastructure discussions are testing his relationship with the party's liberal base, with the G-21 bill coming under fire from top progressive senators last week. Biden’s support would almost certainly unify the party around the bill, though there are fears in progressive circles that it would make passing the White House’s agenda more difficult overall. “This is a very stressful moment,” said one Democratic senator who is torn on whether to side with Biden if he endorses the G-21 framework. The Upshot: Politically, a legislative victory for Biden would be welcomed by many Senate Democrats who are staring down reelection in key states next year, many of whom have already thrown their weight behind the package (The Hill). The Associated Press: Biden and Congress face a summer grind to create legislation. The Hill: Graham: Biden has chance to determine legacy with infrastructure negotiations. Niall Stanage: The Memo: The center strikes back. The Washington Post: Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.), at the apex of his power, finds few allies in his quest for bipartisanship. The Hill: Democrats seek new ways to expand Medicaid in holdout states. 
© Getty Images > Jan. 6 aftermath: A growing number of GOP lawmakers don’t believe that the Jan. 6 insurrection was actually an insurrection, with nearly two dozen House Republicans having voted against a bill last week to award Congressional Gold Medals to police officers who defended the Capitol that day. As Cristina Marcos writes, the main rationale behind the “nay” votes was that the bill describes the mob of former President Trump’s backers who were trying to stop Congress from ratifying the election results as “insurrectionists.” The vote also lays bare the uphill climb facing lawmakers to establish a bipartisan commission to investigate the day’s events. The Hill: Democratic clamor grows for select committee on Jan. 6 attack. The Hill: House to take big step on eliminating Trump-era rules. 
© Getty Images More in Congress … Portman and Graham on Sunday both lobbed criticisms at the Democratic effort to overhaul the election system and voting rights. Portman called a compromise proposal by Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) a “federal takeover of the election system,” while Graham labeled the For the People Act the “biggest power grab” in history (The Hill). … Republicans are drawing red lines as Congress moves toward a debt ceiling fight as early as next month. GOP senators indicate that they won't provide the 10 votes to raise the debt ceiling without cuts in spending, setting up a high-profile fiscal cliff with dramatic financial implications. Democrats dismiss the GOP threat as "political suicide” (The Hill). | 
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