Moderate and progressive congressional Democrats met with President Joe Biden today on the party's domestic agenda. But it remains to be seen whether they can thread the needle on intraparty debate on two huge bills with a self-imposed deadline looming
Democrats returned from a White House sitdown Wednesday vowing to work together to break the logjam threatening their entire domestic agenda — even as deep cracks remain in their party.
Biden’s shuttle diplomacy was welcomed within the caucus after several Democrats privately complained the White House had been too hands off in recent weeks, particularly in the House, allowing tensions between the party’s two wings to boil over. “America is at a crossroads right now: whether to create sustained economic growth that benefits everybody by addressing the challenges that have held back working families for decades, or maintain the status quo of a failed strategy to invest government resources in tax cuts for large corporations and the wealthy," the memo reads.
“Everybody’s trying to maximize their advantage,” Rep. Tom Malinowski said of the narrow majority in the House. “Somehow, within those constraints, we have to find the bill that achieves the most while holding the caucus together.” The party’s political dilemma went largely unaddressed in the meeting at the Capitol, according to people who attended.
Moderates argue the House will have enough votes to pass that Senate infrastructure bill Monday, predicting that there aren’t enough liberals willing to oppose a plank of Biden’s agenda on the floor. They also say at least some Republicans have pledged to support it, but those GOP votes became harder to rely on Wednesday, with House Republican leaders deciding to whip against the infrastructure bill.
Jayapal got a public backing Wednesday afternoon from a group of 11 liberal senators who declared their support for House progressives’ position.
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