President Biden on Wednesday hosted a series of Oval Office meetings with Democrats as he seeks to salvage his legislative agenda from in-fighting that could derail his $1.2 trillion bipartisan infrastructure bill and a $3.5 trillion bundle of tax hikes and social spending.
Moderates including Rep. Stephanie Murphy (D-Fla.) and Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ), who are threats to the larger bill, met with Biden ahead of an evening White House gathering with progressives such as Reps. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.) and Mark Pocan (D-Wis.), whose “Squad” allies have embraced an all-or-nothing stance ahead of an anticipated Monday vote on the smaller bill.
Biden also convened Democratic leaders — House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) — and invited senators including moderate Sens. Kyrsten Sinema (D-Ariz.) and Joe Manchin (D-WVa.) and socialist Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.).
At least publicly, Democrats presented the discussions as a positive step — but they come as Biden’s political capital reaches an early-term low, with disapproval ratings soaring as COVID-19 cases and deaths rebound in the aftermath of last month’s chaotic US pullout from Afghanistan.
Gottheimer, the co-chairman of the Problem Solvers Caucus, said in a statement that “[i]t was the ultimate problem solving session, but we still have work to do. We’ve got a hectic few days ahead.”
But Pocan said on CNN, “Monday is a very arbitrary date. If it takes another week, even another two weeks to get this done right, we’re all working together. I don’t think this is a battle among moderates and progressives. This is a battle to make sure that we get the president’s agenda done.”
Rep. Josh Gottheimer called his meeting with Biden the “ultimate problem solving session.” Photo by Kevin Dietsch/Getty ImagesOne moderate GOP lawmaker with knowledge of the discussions said they expect Monday to be chaotic, telling The Post it’s “high stakes poker.”
“Dems have only chance at this — better play it right,” they said. “Biden is putting major pressure on, I hear.”
Republican leaders in the House are encouraging a “no” vote on the bipartisan bill, which passed the Senate 69-30, with 19 Republicans voting in favor.
House Minority Whip Steve Scalise (R-La.) is rallying his party against the bill, meaning there may not be enough Republican votes to help it pass if leftists led by Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) make good on threats to oppose the bill unless the more massive social-spending bill passes first.
The infrastructure bill in theory is paid for but the Congressional Budget Office said it includes $250 billion in unfunded spending — fueling conservative concern about the national debt and worsening inflation.
House Minority Whip Steve Scalise has been organizing Republican legislators against the bill. Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty ImagesThe infrastructure bill would be a major legacy-defining victory for Biden, whose predecessor Donald Trump frequently floated his eagerness to broker a landmark bill to improve critical physical infrastructure such as bridges and airports. But the bill’s failure would be badly embarrassing for Biden, a former seven-term senator who prides himself on having been able to pass legislation in the past.
The $3.5 trillion bill, meanwhile, would set up massive new social programs funded by tax increases on businesses and the wealthy — as Biden reaches even further for a legacy in the mold of FDR and Lyndon B. Johnson, who passed major welfare-state programs.
The larger bill can pass the Senate with a bare majority under special budget reconciliation rules, but Biden cannot lose a single Democratic vote in the evenly divided chamber — or more than a handful of Democrats in the House — meaning the bill is likely to get a substantial rewrite that shrinks the price tag, if it passes at all.
The pair of Biden bills are reaching their endgame as Republicans resist a Democratic push to suspend the ceiling for the national debt. The impasse could result in a partial government shutdown next week.






