Biden Urges Democrats to ‘Stay Engaged’ for Rest of His Agenda
Biden Urges Democrats to ‘Stay Engaged’ for Rest of His Agenda
(Bloomberg) -- President Joe Biden pressed Democratic activists to “stay unified” ahead of next year’s midterm elections, amid concerns over his flagging poll numbers and the party’s electoral prospects following an upset loss in the Virginia governor’s race.
“As you look at 2022, we need to stay unified,” Biden said Tuesday evening in a video conference organized by the Democratic National Committee in which he hailed last week’s passage of his bipartisan infrastructure bill.
The White House is optimistic that Biden can reverse his political fortunes by touting the infrastructure measure, which includes $550 billion in additional spending on roads, bridges, and public transit over the coming years. Biden sat for a television interview with a local Cincinnati station to promote the legislation on Monday, and plans to tour the Port of Baltimore on Wednesday.
The measure, which was given final approval by the U.S. House late last week, took months to make it through Congress. The second part of Biden’s domestic agenda, a big tax and spending bill, awaits final action by the House and Senate. “Let’s stay together,” Biden said in the call on Tuesday, “this next phase is critically important. So let’s stay engaged.”
In the call, Biden pointed out that former President Donald Trump was unable to secure an infrastructure deal during his four years in office despite several pledges to enact one.
“We got the job done,” Biden said. “Now we need to do it again.”
Yet Biden is facing a significant challenge. A USA Today/Suffolk poll released on Sunday showed that just 38% of Americans approved of the job he was doing in office, with 59% of those surveyed saying they disapproved. Biden acknowledged anxiety among voters over rising inflation, which has seen consumer prices shoot up as the coronavirus pandemic wanes.
“I know a lot of folks don’t feel the progress we’re making into the economy,” Biden said. “I get it. I know the cost of gas, groceries, and rent seems to be harder and harder to handle.”
Biden also remarked on the deep partisan divides in the nation, and said he was dismayed that Republican lawmakers who had voted for the infrastructure bill had come under fire. Some Republicans have suggested stripping members who supported the bill from their committee assignments, Punchbowl News reported earlier Tuesday.
“I’ve never seen it like this before,” Biden said. “It’s got to stop for the sake of America.”
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