Pete Buttigieg called Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski, a crucial GOP vote, as the Biden administration ramps up a push for a multi-trillion dollar infrastructure plan

• Sen. Lisa Murkowski told Insider she spoke with Pete Buttigieg on the phone for 30 minutes Tuesday.
• Joe Biden is aiming for a massive infrastructure bill and Buttigieg is doing the groundwork.
• Murkowski is one of a few centrist lawmakers Biden will need to pass an infrastructure bill.
• See more stories on Insider’s business page.

Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg had a 30-minute phone call Tuesday with Sen. Lisa Murkowski, a Republican of Alaska, as the administration mounts a push for an ambitious infrastructure package.

Murkowski could be a crucial swing vote for President Joe Biden’s infrastructure plan in the 50-50 Senate where Democrats need any Republican they can snatch up.

“I talked for a half an hour about all that we’ve got going on,” Murkowski told Insider on Capitol Hill Tuesday during a hallway interview but did not elaborate on the details of the conversation. 

As the newly-minted DOT chief, one of Buttigieg’s first and top tasks is selling the president’s yet-to-be unveiled infrastructure proposal. Murkowski, who is up for re-election in 2022, told Insider the issue is key for her constituents in Alaska, a state where lots of residents live in far-flung areas that are difficult to access.

“We always talk about infrastructure because when you have 82% of your communities that are not connected by road, people want to know, ‘How are we getting around? What’s going on with ferries? What are we doing for our little runway here?’,” she said.

The White House is expected to propose a $3 trillion infrastructure package, a price tag that it hopes could be offset by higher taxes on the wealthy and on corporations. Democrats in Congress also want to push the bill to include lots of other priorities, such as renewable energy and measures to reduce how much the government spends on prescription drugs. 

With their plans for an ambitious public works bill, Democrats would be going against Republicans who — now after former President Donald Trump’s exit — argue the government should reign in its spending.

They also have to win over conservative Democrat Joe Manchin of West Virginia, who is pushing for bipartisanship in the next major legislation. Manchin has said he supports a pricey infrastructure plan as long as there’s a way to pay for it.

Democrats could also go ahead with trying to move a bill through budget reconciliation, which would allow them to pass legislation using their simple majority, helped by Vice President Kamala Harris casting a tie-breaking vote. Otherwise, they would need the support of at least 10 Republicans to get a necessary 60 votes in the Senate.

The Department of Transportation did not immediately respond to Insider questions about the phone call and what other GOP senators the former mayor of South Bend, Indiana, is courting. The agency he leads oversees the distribution of large sums of money to states and local governments for the construction and maintenance of roads, bridges, waterways, and other public works.

Buttigieg’s courtship of Murkowski on infrastructure could win him a lawmaker with an independent streak who at times breaks with her party and votes with Democrats. Until recently when Democrats took control of the Senate, Murkowski was the chairwoman of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, where she was a strong advocate for her state’s interests. 

She has been in office since 2002 and is the only Senate Republican up for re-election in 2022 who voted to convict Trump during last month’s impeachment trial. She also has supported several of Biden’s nominees, including Interior Secretary Deb Haaland. 

Murkowski frequently drew Trump’s ire during his time as president. Earlier this month the former president told Politico that next year “I know where I will be — in Alaska campaigning against a disloyal and very bad Senator.”

When asked on Tuesday about Trump’s threats, Murkowski brushed off the comments and told Insider she enjoyed campaigning.  

“I’m actually looking forward to ’22 and really being able to be back on the ground with folks in their communities,” she said. 

In 2010, Murkowski defeated a Tea Party challenger through a write-in campaign. She told Insider voters frequently praise her for her voting record. 

“They’re saying, ‘Lisa, we’ve got to have somebody like you, who has common sense, who is able to listen to the issues to use your best judgment and then work to represent us to the best of your ability,” she said. “They tell me that they appreciate that level of open-mindedness, and that’s exactly what the country needs.” 

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