A moderate group of Republicans is set to potentially offer an infrastructure plan of their own this week — with the hopes of enticing Democrats to the table. But if you want to see why the White House is so lukewarm on bipartisanship right now, take a look at how they want to pay for it.

Republicans oppose raising corporate taxes, Biden’s preferred pay-for. So Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, D-W.Va., appearing on CNBC, suggested they might offer a smaller $600 to $800 billion plan funded by other means. One possibility Sen. Mitt Romney floated to reporters: user fees like a gas tax, which has traditionally paid for highway maintenance, but not been raised in decades to keep up with inflation. Another idea with some GOP interest in the House and Senate is supplementing or replacing that tax with a “vehicle miles traveled” charge that accounts for the ongoing transition toward electric vehicles.

There’s a credible policy case for a VMT or gas tax increase, but politically it doesn’t have much to offer Democrats. Two surveys this week found voters not only support Biden’s infrastructure proposal, they like it even more once they hear it’s paid for by corporate taxes.

At the same time, Republicans outside the negotiations are eagerly telegraphing how they plan to run against their proposed pay-fors. A strategy memo by Senate Republicans on how to oppose Biden’s plan cited polling showing opposition to a gas tax. When members of the Biden administration even mentioned a gas tax or VMT as a hypothetical, Senator Rick Scott, who chairs the NRSC this cycle, leapt to attack them in press releases and interviews.

In short, Republicans are (potentially) offering Biden less money, a less popular tax, and the opportunity to get deluged with negative ads citing their own ideas courtesy of their colleagues in exchange for a (possible) sheen of bipartisanship. For the White House, it was a no-brainer: They ruled out a gas tax on Tuesday in response to reports Biden discussed it with Republicans.

As has been a recurring theme, President Obama’s experience looms in the background. In 2013, Republicans pushed President Obama to limit the growth of Social Security benefits to jumpstart bipartisan budget talks. But as soon as he backed the idea, the House GOP campaign chair took to CNN to decry his “shocking attack on seniors.” No deal emerged and progressives were enraged it was even discussed. Biden seems reluctant to get baited into similar concessions when his own plan is still on track.

Jennifer Carroll Foy is the second Democratic Virginia gubernatorial candidate to hit the TV airwaves, up with an introductory spot with a heavy health care focus. The state delegate’s campaign describes it as a “six-figure buy” in the Norfolk and Richmond markets.

Carroll Foy, who hopes to consolidate support as the anti-Terry McAuliffe alternative, joins the former governor and frontrunner in the ad wars; McAuliffe been up with his first TV ad — focused on criminal justice and felon voting rights — since last week.

On the Republican side, self-funder Glenn Youngkin has been on the airwaves with several spots, including a traditional bio piece and a recent March Madness bit featuring “out-there socialist ideas” competing in NCAA-style brackets.

Even though troops may be leaving, American spy agencies and allies are planning to continue to exert force in Afghanistan remotely.

Mitch McConnell is instructing his fellow Republicans to publicly praise Kyrsten Sinema and Joe Manchin.

A Texas bill would target parents for consenting to some medical treatments for their children seeking to transition. (And the Florida House has also passed a controversial transgender sports ban.)

A House panel has advanced a bill that would create a commission to study reparations.

Who is Brooklyn Center mayor Mike Elliott?