With a center-leaning budget, Biden bows to political reality

The core of his proposed budget for the fiscal year that begins a month before the midterms did not change significantly from his first budget blueprint a year ago. To universal prekindergarten and combating climate change he actually added a new tax on the wealth of billionaires.

But its framing was a marked shift from the 2021 pitch for a fundamental transformation of an ailing American society. Instead, Mr. Biden’s plan was an appeal based on the reality of the moment, to both new dangers around the globe and at home, where inflation and crime are crushing the president’s political standing.

Endangered Democrats in swing districts have been urging Mr. Biden to counter the messages from the far left and address the kitchen-table issues facing voters with incremental steps, not transformative legislation. For them, the budget promises deficit reduction to cool the economy and tangible steps to unclog supply-chain bottlenecks that contribute to rising prices.