She's a 44-year-old Senate newcomer, but Sinema has spent her first two-and-a-half years in office forging close relationships with Republicans that rival Manchin's bipartisan entreaties. And the next few days will test whether that can translate to 60 votes for a big bill that the president will sign. In a statement for this story, Sinema acknowledged that forging an agreement, with her leadership, between Biden and at least 10 Republicans will be “difficult" but “would help show everyday Americans that we can work together to modernize and make our infrastructure resilient, and expand economic opportunities.” On Wednesday, deal-seeking Republicans gathered at lunchtime to present their fluid plans for spending several hundred billion dollars above current levels on infrastructure to Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell. The Kentucky Republican said only that he’s in “listening mode” on Wednesday, a shift from his explicit blessing of Capito’s negotiations with Biden.