Biden gets more aggressive with agenda in balance

President Biden is stepping up his engagement with Capitol Hill in a bid to save his economic agenda after criticism from some Democrats who say he needs to get more involved in a battle between liberals and centrists in his party.

Biden scrapped a planned trip to Chicago to promote vaccine mandates on Wednesday, remaining in Washington to meet with Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) and Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.).

He’s also stepped up his involvement with a series of meetings and calls to try to find a way forward for his $1.1 trillion infrastructure bill and a separate $3.5 trillion social spending package being crafted in both chambers.

It’s unclear whether the increased activity will lead to progress, but some Democrats expressed happiness that Biden is becoming more engaged.

“Canceling his trip to Chicago isn’t just window dressing — I think it’s a genuine and responsible move to stay here and have these critical discussions with members of Congress and senators,” said Rep. Debbie Dingell (D-Mich.), an ally who earlier this week voiced criticism of Biden’s congressional outreach.

“People are told, ‘You got to be with the president.’ But what is it the president wants?” Dingell told MSNBC on Wednesday morning. “Nobody can even answer that question.”

“I think that’s a problem for the White House. … I think he’s got to talk to more than two senators,” Dingell added.

Dingell’s comments were a reference to the outsized amount of attention Biden has dedicated to Sens. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) and Kyrsten Sinema (D-Ariz.), two moderates who have voiced opposition to a $3.5 trillion reconciliation package without naming an acceptable price tag.

Each senator has been something of a fixture at the White House, visiting with Biden multiple times in the last few weeks. The meetings reflect Biden’s comfort with the Senate, where he served for more than 30 years, and the leverage Manchin and Sinema hold over whether Democrats can get a massive reconciliation bill containing many of Biden’s priorities through the narrowly divided chamber.

Some officials close to the administration argued any personal push from Biden to House members may not make much of a difference given he lacks the relationships he has with many senators. One official acknowledged the White House knows senior staff may be more effective messengers than Biden for House members.

“I think the sense is that Biden has not been as aggressive as he could be or maybe even needs to be,” said one former Obama administration official.

“But the progressives who might vote against [the bipartisan bill], those aren’t people Biden has a lot of clout with. … They see the issues they care about as being a higher priority than bending down to the institution of the White House,” the official continued. “So has he checked all the boxes that he could check? No. But does checking those boxes now move the ball forward? I don’t think so.”

Biden’s schedule was largely clear of public events this week in a nod to the urgency around the negotiations on Capitol Hill. A trip to Capitol Hill on Thursday to rally support for his agenda is a possibility. White House press secretary Jen Psaki said Biden’s plans could change “hour by hour.”

One reason Biden hasn’t been more aggressive is that he’s been careful not to get ahead of Pelosi or Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) as they manage their caucuses.

Biden held private meetings last week with various Democratic lawmakers from both the progressive and moderate wings of the party. On Tuesday, Biden hosted Manchin and Sinema at the White House for separate conversations.

“The president has spoken over the last several days with a range of different voices,” Psaki said Wednesday. “But he knows that the most constructive role he can play in this moment is working to unify Democrats on a path forward. And a big part of that, of course — a huge part of that — is working toward an agreement to get 50 votes in the Senate.”

The White House earlier this week touted that Biden and senior officials had more than 260 engagements on their Build Back Better agenda and held 50 briefings with different departments on policy components.

Top Biden officials were all over Capitol Hill on Wednesday.

White House senior adviser Cedric Richmond attended the House Democrats’ caucus meeting with leadership in the morning. Later in the day, White House Office of Legislative Affairs Director Louisa Terrell, counselor Steve Ricchetti and domestic policy adviser Susan Rice met with Sinema in her office.

The president has urged Congress to pass both the bipartisan infrastructure bill that the Senate approved in August and the reconciliation bill that contains other priorities on health care, child care, climate initiatives and education.

Pelosi scheduled a vote on the infrastructure bill for Thursday, but it looks likely to be postponed a second time amid complaints from progressives.

Democratic strategists and administration officials acknowledge Biden’s presidency is at a pivotal moment eight months into his first term. His ability to unite the party and get moderates and progressives on board will determine whether his top domestic priorities get passed, giving Democrats a clear message for next year’s midterm elections.

One strategist close to the White House argued it would be better to push the vote on the bipartisan infrastructure bill back to ensure both pieces of legislation get passed. But White House officials have been careful not to negotiate in public as they work frantically to get everyone on the same page.

“I’m not negotiating from here,” Psaki said Wednesday. “We’re obviously in a precarious and important time in these discussions.”