[ad_1]
The power dynamics in Washington, DC next year will center on two men with 80 years of tenure between them, a history of negotiation and fighting, and who sometimes even refer to each other as friends.
As his administration draws near, the relationship between President-elect Joe Biden and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., Takes center stage. With a tightly divided Senate, their personal relationships will be critical in determining to what extent, if any, the new president’s agenda can be accomplished.
Those who know the two men say they have mutual respect and have built a level of trust between them over the years – which could be key in facilitating deals. But those familiar with the couple – and the current state of hyper-partisan politics – say it will only get so far.
Former Sen. Chuck Hagel, R-Neb., And later Secretary of Defense under former President Barack Obama, told NBC News he believes the Biden-McConnell dynamic “can work for the good of our country”.
“They both know how to compromise,” Hagel said. “They both know how to get things done. And I start with the fact that they trust each other, they love each other, and that’s important. And if you start there as a base, then you can work together. They ‘We’re not going to agree on everything, of course not, but they can make things work and move this country forward. “
McConnell, who was the only Republican senator to attend Beau Biden’s funeral in 2015, called Biden a “true friend” and “trusted partner” after the Obama administration ended.
Biden, who in 2011 appeared at the McConnell Center in Kentucky, both bragged about and distanced himself from his relationship with McConnell during his presidential campaign, promoting his ability to strike deals with the main Republican while referring to him during a primary debate as “the biggest pain in my neck in a long time.”
In the Obama administration, when negotiations between Senate Republicans and the White House were stalled, Biden – who served in the Senate for more than 30 years – was often called upon to reach a deal crossing the finish line .
“I think the president-elect believed that with cordiality and mutual respect you can find a way to come to an understanding and agreement,” said Don Graves, director of domestic and economic policy for the vice president of the ‘Biden era from 2014. to 2017. “There’s never been a time when I think, at least then, to my knowledge, that they left after saying things they would regret more late.
Few have seen the two negotiate closely, as they have already made deals to extend Bush’s tax cuts, raise the debt ceiling and pass the 21st Century Cures Act. These discussions often took place over the phone and only the two men and staff were present, sources close to their relationship told NBC News.
Although the two are hardly alike, a former senior McConnell assistant told NBC News that their differences in personalities were actually conducive to making deals.
“If you know anything about Senator McConnell, he is not a particularly talkative individual. He is very good at listening and, as he has said on several occasions, allows himself the luxury of unexpressed thought,” said the former assistant. “And so he’s pretty calm in those conversations. Lots of listening, speaking where he feels like he needs to step in, but if not, sort of takes everything into account.”
“But President-elect Biden – or, at the time, Vice President Biden – is totally opposed,” the person continued. “He’s very talkative. He’s a gregarious person by nature. And it was kind of a useful yin-yang relationship because his inclination to talk is how we found places for potential compromise.”
McConnell and other Republicans for years have made it clear their preference for dealing with Biden over Obama. In 2016, McConnell said: “The guy to negotiate with in administration was the vice president, not the president.”
“What was clear at a higher level among Congressional leaders is, and I can’t tell you why, because it’s nothing President Obama has done – he’s always been courteous and inclusive with them – but there were people who couldn’t accept the fact that he was president, ”Phil Schiliro, White House chief legislative officer under Obama, told NBC News.“ And that reluctance was still apparent. That did not exist with Vice President Biden. “
Reflecting on his dealings with Republicans, Obama this month expressed his amusement at the recent coverage of Biden and McConnell’s relationship.
“I now enjoy reading how Joe Biden and Mitch have been friends for a long time,” Obama told The Atlantic. “They have known each other for a long time. I have quotes from Biden on his interactions with Mitch McConnell. “
Still, dealing directly with Biden was likely to put McConnell in a good mood. A source familiar with McConnell’s engagement with Biden when he was Vice President and President Donald Trump described a stark contrast in McConnell’s behavior upon returning from negotiations with Each Man. The source told NBC News that was in part because Biden had realistic expectations of what McConnell could and couldn’t do when Trump didn’t.
“Everyone has seen him come back from these discussions,” this person said of McConnell’s colleagues following discussions with Biden. “And they saw how he was when he got back from those phone calls with the current president.
Still, Democrats and Republicans might not feel warm and hazy that Biden and McConnell are making deals behind the scenes.
For Biden, Democrats have sometimes blamed him for his dealings with McConnell, believing the senator got the better of him – a sentiment Biden sought to slap in the Democratic primary. Speaking to NBC News recently, Waleed Shahid of the progressive Justice Democrats group warned Biden to make “all kinds of toxic deals with” McConnell. And some Senate Democrats are calling on Biden to aggressively use executive action to accomplish the more progressive elements of his platform, bypassing McConnell entirely, as they believe he is likely to be an obstacle to what the party wants to accomplish in terms of legislation.
On the flip side, McConnell’s caucus is likely to include a number of senators who want to run for president in 2024, and they’re unlikely to be keen to make deals with Biden and give Democrats victories. McConnell will assess their needs along with those of its members who seek re-election in 2022 and may want to take home bipartisan accomplishments to brag about, as well as others more open to bipartisan negotiation like the Senses. Susan Collins, R-Maine and Mitt Romney, R-Utah.
There are other variables still at play, including which party controls the Senate after the Jan.5 runoff in Georgia, as well as the role Trump chooses to play in Republican politics after he resigns.
Looking back on Obama’s presidency, the Republican playbook was to get as far as possible off the president’s agenda. Some don’t see it changing just because an old friend is now in power.
“The Senate has changed dramatically since Joe Biden was a senator,” said former Senator Claire McCaskill, D-Mo., And political analyst for NBC News and MSNBC, referring to a time of more collegiality and passage. “And I think he’ll be reminded of that on a constant basis.”
Trump refusing to acknowledge the election results, McConnell has yet to publicly name Biden as the winner. When it comes to their future relationship, Biden downplayed the importance of McConnell siding with Trump after the election.
The current dynamic is making observers doubt the likelihood of transformational legislation being passed, but they say where the personal Biden-McConnell relationship can pay off is in a more orderly process for must-see bills. , which reduces the risk of government shutdowns. Democrats and Republicans who spoke to NBC News speculated the relationship could pay off in areas such as infrastructure, technology, broadband expansion, and novel coronavirus relief.
“There are probably going to be some hard knocks,” a former Republican Senate executive assistant told NBC News about future negotiations between Biden and McConnell. “But I think both are also very equipped to throw the punch and then move on. And I think part of that is that they’re both legislators at heart and they understand the game. “
[ad_2]
Source link