Democrats are pushing to pass his infrastructure bill by month’s end, following recent setbacks on Capitol Hill, along with a broad safety net package. The two bills include major climate provisions that Biden wants to tout at a global climate summit next month, and Democrats also want something to show Virginia’s voters before their Nov. 2 vote for governor.
“If we don’t pass one of those before the gubernatorial election, it’s a huge, huge mistake,” said Sen. Mark R. Warner (D-Va.), referring to the infrastructure bill and a separate measure, to boost U.S. science and research, both of which have passed the Senate but not the House. “We’ve got two major wins — two major bipartisan wins. … Let’s get at least one if not both of those wins for the president on the board.”…
This upcoming stretch may be Biden’s last chance to revive a presidency that has suffered major blows in recent months. Since being rocked by the Afghan withdrawal and the surging delta variant over the summer, Biden’s approval rating has fallen steadily, hitting a low of 38 percent in the latest Quinnipiac poll. Some of the campaign pledges that inspired Biden’s supporters, from voting rights to immigration reform, have fallen by the wayside. A jobs report Friday suggested the economy has been slowed down by the delta variant.
Beyond that, the coming weeks will tell whether Biden’s central message — that America’s democratic system can still tackle big problems — will hold true. Even if the president cannot push through his major goals by month’s end, he faces enormous pressure to show at least some progress, with White House aides looking at the months leading up to Christmas as a crucial window.
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