Biden’s big agenda imperiled as his priorities stall in Congress and a debt fight looms

For weeks, a trio of negotiators on policing have been tied up over how much immunity — if any — law enforcement officers accused of misconduct should enjoy from lawsuits. A bipartisan group of senators has also quietly discussed expanding background checks for gun purchases, a weeks-long back-and-forth that the lead Democrat involved said was “frustrating.” Immigration continues to vex GOP and Democratic lawmakers, as Republicans remain wary about granting legalization to undocumented immigrants as long as migrants, including unaccompanied children, continue to arrive at the southern border in large numbers. And on voting, Senate Democrats, who hold the barest of majorities, have not even rounded up unanimous support within their ranks, much less the 10 GOP votes that would be needed to clear legislation through their chamber... So far, senior White House officials and Democratic leaders have let the bipartisan discussions proceed without much interference from them, empowering rank-and-file lawmakers to hammer out significant compromises on guns, policing and immigration that could help define Biden’s legacy. But it’s unclear how much more of a legislative window they have, because they soon face a fiscal crunch, including an expiration of the debt limit this summer, which will probably consume Washington with partisan battles over federal spending. Impatience is starting to mount, particularly among Democrats in the House, who are staring down challenging political and structural head winds ahead of next year’s midterm elections and are eager to sell their accomplishments to voters.