WASHINGTON (NEXSTAR) — President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris met with a group of Senators Thursday to discuss a potential bipartisan infrastructure package.

“Try to see if we can come to some generic consensus about how to begin,” Biden said.

The president says they need to look into ways to improve roadways, railways, bridges, and more,
especially to stay competitive with China.

“If we don’t get moving, they’re going to eat our lunch,” he said.

The White House says rebuilding America can be a common goal that brings all sides together.

“America needs to build new infrastructure across urban and rural areas and create millions of good-paying jobs, in the process of supporting the country’s economic recovery in the months and years ahead,” said White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki. 

Infrastructure could receive heavy bipartisan support in Congress.

“Yes, I do think it can be bipartisan,” North Dakota Republican Senator Kevin Cramer said. 

Cramer says his party wants a package focused on job creation.

“That has the profitability of the private sector and the entire value chain of industry as an outcome, I think he’d find a lot of support from that,” Cramer continued.

But, Rhode Island Democratic Senator Sheldon Whitehouse says the GOP needs to be willing to negotiate.

“And it’s up to the republicans to choose to travel the bipartisan lane in good faith with the desire to get a good outcome,” Whitehouse said.