CNN town hall with President Biden

President Biden this evening expressed optimism on two key spending proposals in Congress suggesting he believes lawmakers in a divided Congress are nearing an agreement.

"I do think I'll get a deal," he said, when asked by CNN's Anderson Cooper if he thinks he will.

Biden also urged lawmakers to focus on compromise on the two pieces of legislation which together contain much of his domestic agenda.

The President went on to address those who may doubt whether he will be able to push such ambitious legislation across the finish line, saying it is at the very heart of why he ran for President.

Biden has spent months delivering speeches across the country trying to sell the public on his infrastructure plans. This week, Biden is meeting with lawmakers to negotiate both aspects of his infrastructure proposals — a sweeping economic package to expand the social safety net and a $1.2 trillion bipartisan infrastructure bill.

There is still significant work to be done and the critical holdouts — Democratic Sens. Joe Manchin of West Virginia and Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona — still have not signed onto the plan, officials say.

Watch the moment:

Anderson Cooper opened the town hall by asking President Biden how close he is to a deal on his signature legislation, the "Build Back Better" plan.

Biden quipped, "No Problem. All done."

The President then outlined what is in the legislation, calling it "a big deal."

Asked if it was the toughest deal he's ever worked on, the President said that passing the assault weapons ban when he was in the Senate was tougher.

The President said that he does believe that "I'll get a deal" on his plan.

Watch the moment:

Tonight's town hall kicked off with questions about President Biden's domestic agenda.

Democrats in Congress are currently negotiating a sweeping budget reconciliation package that is the centerpiece of President Biden's domestic plan.

The 10-year spending plan, originally priced at $3.5 trillion, marks the biggest step in the Democrats' drive to expand education, health care and child care support, as well as tackling the climate crisis and making further investments in infrastructure. But it has also raised concerns among moderate Democrats in both chambers who worry some of the elements of the package go too far and are too costly.

With only narrow majorities in both chambers of Congress, Democrats are under pressure to finalize the package, which party leaders have pledged to move in tandem with a separate $1 trillion infrastructure bill that's already been approved by the Senate and is waiting for a vote in the House before it can be signed by Biden.

Unlike the Democrats' infrastructure package, the budget plan is unlikely to gain bipartisan backing — but under Senate rules it can be passed with 50 Democratic votes alone. GOP lawmakers have lashed out at the size of the package and multiple provisions the Democrats are considering.

After weeks of back-and-forth, Biden laid out details of a scaled back version of the plan, bringing the top line number down to roughly $1.9 trillion from $3.5 trillion and specifying that certain provisions like free community college would be left out. The legislation has yet to be finalized.

Read more about the package here.

The CNN town hall with President Biden just started.

The town hall will run for 90 minutes and is being anchored by Anderson Cooper.

The event is expected to focus on a range of issues that the Biden administration is grappling with, including voting rights, coronavirus and infrastructure. The event also comes following the White House's announcement of a detailed plan to vaccinate children ages 5 to 11.

President Biden has arrived at the site of his CNN town hall in Baltimore. His motorcade pulled into the Baltimore Center Stage around 7:40 p.m. ET.

Earlier, after stepping from Marine 1, he greeted Maryland Sens. Ben Cardin and Chris Van Hollen, Rep. John Sarbanes and Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott.

The pool said some protesters were visible from the motorcade route.

President Biden will participate in a CNN town hall on Thursday in Baltimore, where he'll take questions as his administration continues to sell his ambitious legislative agenda to members of Congress and the nation.

The town hall will take place at a critical time for the Biden administration, as the President continues his push to sell the public on his infrastructure plans. Biden is meeting this week with lawmakers to etch out the framework of his infrastructure proposals -- a sweeping economic package to expand the social safety net and a $1.2 trillion bipartisan infrastructure bill.

The 90-minute event is expected to focus on a range of issues that the Biden administration is grappling with, including voting rights, coronavirus and infrastructure. The event also comes following the White House's announcement of a detailed plan to vaccinate children ages 5 to 11.

Here's how you can watch it:

President Biden is expected to face questions tonight when he participates in a CNN town hall in Baltimore.

The event will be moderated by CNN anchor Anderson Cooper and will air at 8 p.m. ET on CNN.

A CNN spokesperson said an invitation-only audience will be present at the town hall and the network will follow all local and state Covid-19 guidance and regulations to ensure a safe event.

Here's what the stage looks like ahead of tonight's town hall:

President Biden has arrived in Baltimore ahead of his CNN town hall. Marine One flew from Washington, and arrived to Fort McHenry, south of downtown, at 7:15 p.m. ET.

From there he will drive to the town hall site, Baltimore Center Stage.

He flew with a small team of aides, including his senior adviser Mike Donilon, communications director Kate Bedingfield and press secretary Jen Psaki.

The CNN town hall kicks off at 8 p.m. ET

The present and future of President Biden's domestic agenda is expected to be front and center in tonight's town hall in Baltimore.

Biden's decision to lay out the details of a significantly scaled back — and yet still sweeping in scale — roughly $1.9 trillion economic and climate package in a private meeting with nine progressive House Democrats was strategic, intentional and a signal that the talk of wrapping things up isn't just talk.

There is still significant work to be done and the critical holdouts — Democratic Sens. Joe Manchin of West Virginia and Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona — still have not signed onto the plan, officials say.

But, in the words of one lawmaker who met with Biden and short-handed the conversation: "We're not in listen and discuss mode anymore. We're in time to take action mode."

The bottom line is that Biden and Democratic leaders engineered a clear pivot toward a resolution through a series of meetings and calls over the course of Tuesday.

The next several days will be spent in the effort to agree to a framework on the multi-trillion economic and climate package by week's end. Deadlines have been set and blown by before. But this one may be different. In the words of one official, "We want it to stick, we need it to stick."

Read more about where things stand in Biden's domestic agenda here.