Biden kept Democrats from splintering and barreled ahead without Republican support. He didn’t need them in the end, as the bill that passed the Senate only required a simple majority. But keeping his party in line was a feat itself. And in doing so, Biden managed to accomplish something that former presidents Obama, George W. Bush and Bill Clinton could not in early bills before Congress: hew closely to the original proposal without having to give much up in return.
“The White House said they were going to pass a $1.9 trillion package and then they did it,” said Zac Petkanas, whose outside group, Invest in America, was formed to help Biden muscle the legislation through, and then continue to sell it. “They had a disciplined message, ignored Washington naysayers in order to speak directly to the American people, didn’t buckle under pressure to cut some weak-kneed deal with Republicans and kept the Democratic caucuses united. That’s some damn fine work.”
Aside from one detour — the scuttling of Neera Tanden’s nomination to lead the Office of Management and Budget — the White House has maintained a steady focus on its legislative priority. As progressives demanded a dramatic show of power to keep a minimum wage hike in the bill, the Biden team swiftly declined to entertain the idea. Their messaging then was straightforward, too: it will be raised in some future fight. For the sake of progress, they also were willing to lower jobless benefits and tighten the income limits on those who will qualify for the stimulus checks.
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