Biden seeks to prove his skeptics wrong

President BidenJoe Biden Biden calls on Congress to pass voting bills on anniversary of John Lewis’ death Afghan and Taliban officials meet in Qatar amid US troop withdrawal Biden administration investigation of “Havana syndrome” cases in Austria MORE is entering a critical phase with momentum as he tries to pass an ambitious $ 4 trillion economic program through Congress.

Biden rallies Democrats on $ 3.5 trillion budget as Treasury Department injects billions of dollars in extended child tax credits into millions of American families, giving Biden the opportunity to brag once plus its $ 1.9 trillion coronavirus relief law.

Unemployment claims in the United States have fallen to pandemic lows, although inflation remains a concern.

Significant hurdles to the budget package and a separate bipartisan infrastructure deal backed by Biden remain, but it’s been a good week for the White House.

“They turned the key and the car drove off,” said Jim Kessler, executive vice president for policy at the centrist Democrat think tank Third Way. “If they hadn’t been able to do that, that would be a real problem, and there will be a lot of twists and turns along the way.”

Biden often remarks that he has proven the media and other skeptics wrong about his ability to strike a bipartisan deal.

“I still have confidence that we can get what I proposed and what I accepted in the bipartisan infrastructure agreement,” Biden told reporters Thursday. “There may be a last minute discussion about the mechanism used to pay for each of these items, both the infrastructure package and the human infrastructure package, but I think we’ll get there.”

Majority leader in the Senate Charles SchumerChuck SchumerBiden calls on Congress to pass voting rights bills on the anniversary of John Lewis’ death. Where is “President Andrew Shepherd” when we need him? Tech executives increased political donations amid lobbying MORE (DN.Y.) said Thursday that the Senate would vote to open debate on the bipartite infrastructure deal next week.

This may be delayed as the bill has yet to be drafted and Senators are haggling over an increase in IRS funding that would allow tax collectors to more aggressively tackle lost taxes. . Republicans balk at this part of the bill, a significant problem since the provision helps pay for the forfeit.

White House press secretary Jen psakiJen PsakiBiden’s silence on filibuster is straining Democrats’ patience. highlighted Biden’s long political career on Friday when describing his approach to the obstacles ahead.

“The president is quite familiar with the roller coaster and the ups and downs of legislation, having spent 36 years there and having even had some success in the past few months working with lawmakers,” she said. .

She also told reporters this week that Biden would “leave the mechanics and timing” of the bill to Schumer.

Both measures give Biden a chance to unite his fractional party, and Democrats will have to rally to the $ 3.5 trillion package to get him to the White House. A single defection from the Senate will be enough to kill the measure since Republicans will oppose it, and Democrats also have little room for error in the House.

His. Bernie sandersBernie Sanders Progressive fights get personal on internal appeal on antitrust bills Sanders seeks chance to put his stamp on government Democrats face tall hurdles despite promising start MORE (I-Vt.), Biden’s former main rival, helped negotiate the deal and provided support, and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-CortezAlexandria Ocasio-Cortez Cuba and Haiti pose major challenges for Florida Democrats Ocasio-Cortez to oppose Turner in Ohio ahead of special election Businesses and labor groups team up to move bullet train forward MORE (DN.Y.) presented the resolution this week as “an absolutely gradual victory”.

Centrists who might be put off by the high price tag held their own fire, another reason for Democrats’ optimism.

Jason Grumet, chairman of the Bipartisan Policy Center, said Biden has had a “very good week” because uniting Democrats around the budget bill is a tall order.

“I think the president’s ability to anticipate a $ 3.5 trillion ambition as a starting point for Democrats is a significant achievement. It’s like the first day of a campaign. On the first day you better feel good because things get a lot harder, ”he said.

The president has worked hard to sell the packages to the American people and build public support, having recently visited a swinging neighborhood in Illinois. Biden’s approval ratings remained above 50%, and his centrist image could help sell the massive bill.

At the same time, the hurdles ahead are not limited to the very real difficulties the president and his party still face in getting the infrastructure and bigger spending bills through Congress.

The other main Democratic primary for voting rights is on hold, and Biden has shown no real interest in pressuring moderate Democrats in the Senate to kill the legislative obstruction.

While Biden has been praised by the liberals for his swift and decisive action on the popular coronavirus relief plan, some progressives have complained that he has not done enough to push forward legislation to revise the election laws of the country amid a series of Republican-led state laws restricting voting.

So far, this frustration has not turned into open war with the Democratic Party, but the danger remains.

“Biden’s biggest challenge is reverting to the mean. His first six months included many victories: an apparent victory over the pandemic, the passage of a stimulus bill bigger than Obama’s, overwhelmingly positive coverage from a media still obsessed with Trump and Republicans stuck in circular firing squads, ”said Bruce Mehlman, assistant secretary of commerce under former President George W. Bush. “The next six months will be more difficult.