White House memo says public support of Biden agenda ‘overwhelming’

The White House on Monday circulated a memo ahead of a critical week on Capitol Hill for President Biden’s legislative agenda that highlighted public support in polling for Biden’s economic package.

“As we enter the final phase of legislative negotiations over the President’s economic package — the evidence is overwhelming that the wind is at our backs and the public is eager for both of these packages to become law,” the memo states.

The White House is working to unite progressives and moderates in order to get both the Senate-passed infrastructure bill and a $3.5 trillion reconciliation package across the finish line.

Biden last week hosted several groups of lawmakers at the White House in hopes of resolving their differences. Progressives say they will not vote for the infrastructure bill until the $3.5 trillion package passes the House, but moderates have voiced concerns about the price tag and various elements of the larger package.

“I’m optimistic about this week. It’s going to take the better part of the week,” Biden told reporters Sunday evening as he arrived at the White House following a weekend at Camp David.

Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) has set a Thursday vote on the bipartisan infrastructure bill, pushing back a planned Monday vote on the package.

The White House memo circulated Monday cites a range of polling showing support for the $3.5 trillion reconciliation package, the infrastructure bill and Biden’s plan to raise taxes on high-income Americans and corporations.

A Fox News poll conducted earlier this month included in the memo found that 56 percent of registered voters in the survey favor the $3.5 trillion package, while 39 percent opposed and 5 percent were unsure.

A new Pew poll released late last week that is also cited found that 49 percent of U.S. adults polled favor the $3.5 trillion reconciliation package, while only 25 percent oppose it. The poll found a decent chunk of respondents — 25 percent — remain unsure about the bill.

The memo also highlights polling from Democratic firms Navigator Research and Data for Progress, each of which found the president’s plan to be supported by over 60 percent of voters.

Additionally, the memo highlights surveys showing majority support for the $1.2 trillion Senate-passed bipartisan infrastructure bill that Biden helped negotiate earlier this year.

It also showcases polling demonstrating that voters support Biden’s plan to pay for the package by raising taxes on the wealthy and corporations. For instance, a Morning Consult-Politico poll released earlier this month found that 68 percent of registered voters surveyed support raising taxes on wealthy Americans and 62 percent suppose increasing the corporate tax rate.

“By closing loopholes, cracking down on wealthy tax cheats, and making the tax code fairer, we can cut taxes for the middle class, invest in a strong, durable economy that works for everyone, and lower costs on essentials like health care, prescription drugs, and childcare for working families,” the memo states. “And because President Biden’s plan is fully paid for, we can do this with a price tag of $0.”

Biden will engage with members of Congress this week as the House takes up the infrastructure bill, the White House said Sunday. He does not currently have many public events on his schedule but is slated to travel to Chicago on Wednesday to tout COVID-19 vaccine requirements for businesses.