Biden rallies Dems as GOP pushes him toward 1st veto
BALTIMORE — President Joe Biden implored House Democrats on Wednesday to go out and sell the accomplishments of the past two years to voters, rallying the lawmakers at a time when their party is confronting the limits of its power in a newly divided Washington.
Biden’s speech comes as energized Republicans are forcing the initial veto of his presidency — on a measure to limit the way private financial advisers promote “woke” investment options. That confrontation and others are signs of how bipartisanship is giving way to a new era of oversight, investigations and conflict.
“By sticking together we got a lot done,” Biden told Democratic lawmakers at their annual retreat in Baltimore.
“If we did nothing — nothing — but implement what we’ve already passed and let the people know who did it for them, we win,” Biden said. “But we’re way beyond that. It’s not just about winning.”
Touting their accomplishments — a massive infrastructure bill and a sweeping climate, tax and health care package — Biden promised his administration will help Democrats implement them in communities across the nation.
“We’re going to finish the job,” he said.
Introducing Biden, House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries of New York hailed “a phenomenal track record of accomplishment.”
Biden will be having lunch with Senate Democrats on Thursday.
Without many new initiatives to propose, Biden is determined not to see the party backslide into bickering and disappointment. Instead, Democrats appear ready to focus on a Hippocratic oath-style strategy of doing no harm — playing up what they have accomplished so far while portraying Republicans as being led by extremists beholden to the Trumpera “Make America Great Again” agenda.
It’s a risky tack as both parties try to set the political narrative before the 2024 elections. Biden is expected to announce this spring whether he will seek a second term, while Donald Trump is already campaigning in a growing field for the Republican nomination.
The challenges ahead are stark.
Congress must approve raising the $31 trillion debt limit this summer to avoid a financially devastating federal default. Economic uncertainty at home and the grinding war in Ukraine are testing America’s resolve. There are no easy answers to stubborn worries over the fentanyl crisis, climate change, gun violence and the lingering COVID-19 crisis.
Biden had success drawing Republicans to his side last year, when Democrats controlled both the House and Senate. He was able to sign into law bills on infrastructure investments, same-sex marriage protections and others issues.
While divided government can often be a time of bipartisan dealmaking, Biden’s quieter agenda this new session of Congress, with the GOP in charge of the House, is almost destined to be mired in legislative gridlock.
Policy proposals from House Speaker Kevin McCarthy are slim, overpowered by the oversight and investigations that Republicans are undertaking to examine almost every aspect of Biden, his family and his administration.
McCarthy, R-Calif., said in a brief interview ahead of Biden’s talk that he hopes the president pushes Democrats to act on several fronts — “on finding a place to secure the border, to make America energy independent. I hope he rallies them on the parents’ bill of rights, making sure that we commit to a balanced budget.”