Democrats are clinging to the hope of bipartisan breakthroughs as senators from their party block President Joe Biden’s legislative agenda in Congress.
But the window for bipartisan compromise may have closed, given it is a midterm election year and Republicans are poised to retake control of at least one chamber in November while Biden’s popularity plummets, even among Democrats.
Democrats could have passed Biden’s roughly $2 trillion social welfare and climate spending proposal on their own. Yet, negotiations over the bill stalled after centrist senators balked at its scope and price tag. Democrats could have also reformed federal voting laws by themselves if all 50 senators and Vice President Kamala Harris agreed to change the chamber’s supermajority rules.
Now, amid Democratic disarray and a pandemic, Biden and party leaders require Republican support of parts of their policy priorities, while GOP candidates have a generic congressional ballot average advantage of 4 percentage points before the 2022 midterm cycle.
According to former California Democratic Party adviser Bob Mulholland, the likelihood of bipartisanship is low. His concession undermines the “Democrats deliver” motto being tested by the Democratic National Committee and its House and Senate campaign counterparts.
“Congress is divided on these critical issues, and to Americans, it looks like the 27-hour traffic jam that Virginia Sen. Tim Kaine was stuck in,” Mulholland told the Washington Examiner. “President Biden and Congress need to do ‘speed dating’ to find the right legislative ‘dates’ so voters see the traffic jam is moving, and that will help Democrats in the 2022 midterms.”
Although bipartisan action is unlikely, it is not impossible. For example, consensus could be reached over securing technological supply chains to counter China’s rise after House Democrats this month finally released its response to the U.S. Innovation and Competition Act, which the Senate cleared last summer. And there could be common ground regarding an Electoral Count Act overhaul thanks to Maine Republican Sen. Susan Collins as the White House and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer downplay their complaints that it emphasizes election subversion rather than voter suppression.
It remains to be seen whether passing the U.S. Innovation and Competition Act or Electoral Count Act will mean Democrats withstand what history suggests should be brutal midterm elections. However, a Supreme Court vacancy created by Justice Stephen Breyer’s retirement may amplify what is at stake for the party, motivating voters to cast a ballot, according to Democratic strategist Donnie Fowler.
“And it will show he can get things done,” he said of Biden and the “fait accompli” confirmation. “Both parties are going to make a lot of hay and raise a lot of money off of the debate over the future of the Supreme Court as symbolized by this open seat.”
Fowler, a University of San Francisco policy adjunct professor, endorsed Biden’s idea of clearing “chunks” of his social welfare and climate framework. Disagreeing with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Fowler used a baseball analogy to contend the White House could win “the game” by hitting “singles.”
“Yes, it was fantastic to have that great stimulus win. It was fantastic to have the infrastructure win. Those were big, huge home runs, but the American people have short political memories. And in addition to all the other things happening in the world, like inflation and omicron, they’ve kind of forgotten about those runs,” he said.
Fowler pointed to the measure’s climate provisions as an example of bipartisan concern, citing Steven Kull, a public consultation researcher. Voters tend to reward lawmakers who notch accomplishments instead of those who say “no,” he said, repeating an argument Biden debuted at his second White House news conference.
The White House denies Biden has limited opportunities to improve his standing before November as his average approval rating hovers around net negative 14 percentage points. Already an unreliable presence on the stump, his polling indicates he may be a liability to some Democrats, particularly after slamming Republicans during recent outings.
Instead, White House press secretary Jen Psaki underscores high COVID-19 vaccination rates, promising economic data, and Biden’s management of Russia-Ukraine tensions.
“The fact that we are still continuing to work with members to determine the path forward on Build Back Better, that we have the vast majority of Democrats in the Senate supporting voting rights, that’s a path forward for us,” she said this month. “The president’s view is we’re going to keep pushing for hard things, and we’re going to keep pushing the boulders up the hill to get it done.”
