Biden arrives at the Capitol in desperate bid to salvage agenda
President Biden scrambled to Capitol Hill Friday afternoon in a bid to salvage his $4.7 trillion in signature spending plans that have been hijacked by progressive members of his own party — but after a less than half-hour talk with his fellow Democrats the president snapped at reporters who asked for a status check on his way out the door.
After arriving at the Capitol shortly before 4 p.m., Biden’s meeting with the Democratic caucus quickly wrapped up around 4:26 p.m. His trip was an effort to strike a deal with warring Democrats after two leading progressive lawmakers took shots at him for not engaging in talks sooner.
“I’m tellin’ ya we’re gonna get this done,” Biden snapped at reporters following the meeting.
When pressed on when the legislation would be passed, the president said it “doesn’t matter.”
“Doesn’t matter when. Doesn’t matter if it’s in six minutes, six days, or six weeks. We’re gonna get it done.”
The sudden visit by Biden also came after House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who appears not to be able to sway the increasibly powerful far-left wing of her caucus laid the groundwork to delay a vote on Biden’s Senate-passed, bipartisan, $1.2 trillion infrastructure bill for up to a month.
Biden was greeted at the Capitol entryway by an anxious Pelosi who escorted him to the Democratic caucus meeting. Biden did not answer any questions from reporters and gave a thumbs up.
Protesters outside the Capitol complex yelled, “Hold the line,” as Biden arrived.
Applause was later heard in the hallway outside the room where the president met with the Democrats.
Progressives appeared to be in a better mood after the meeting than moderates.
Congressional Progressive Caucus Chair Pramila Jaypal (D-Wash.) — a supporter of Biden’s controversial $3.5 trillion social spending bill — told reporters earlier Friday that she spoke to the president several times since Pelosi (D-Calif.) was forced to delay a vote on his Senate-passed, $1.2 trillion infrastructure bill late Thursday.
Jayapal said Biden was “deeply engaged in trying to iron out these differences” among lawmakers who are split over the larger package, CNN reported.
“Would I have preferred that he, you know, engage sooner on the reconciliation bill? Sure,” she said while heading into a closed-door meeting of House Democrats.
“But we’ve had a number of other issues come up. And I feel he’s doing what he needs to be doing right now.”
The caucus meeting with Biden was set for 3:30 pm, according to a notice to members that warns cellphones will be banned, masks are required and there will be no Zoom allowances. The president arrived shortly before 4 p.m.
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) also said of Biden, “I think that the president has been playing a convening role and he’s exploring the contours of the positive contribution he can make,” according to CNN.
Shortly before the meeting, White House press secretary Jen Psaki was pressed about what changed in the negotiations that made “now the time” to visit Capitol Hill.
“He’s going over there to make the case for his legislative agenda, which includes the infrastructure bill, and it includes his Build Back Better agenda — that would be in the reconciliation package,” Psaki said.
“So he wants to speak directly to members, answer their questions and make the case for why we should all work together to give the American people more breathing room.”
Psaki declined to predict whether or not there would be a vote on the bipartisan bill Friday, saying that it was up to Pelosi. She added that the president believes “it’s the right time for him to go up there,” calling the legislation “his proposals” and “his bold ideas.”
Jayapal later told reporters that she was “very confident of our numbers” if progressives wanted to defeat Biden’s infrastructure bill.
But House Democratic Caucus Chairman Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) later said of the infrastructure bill: “I expect to vote today, and I expect that the bill will pass today.”
House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) said Thursday that “the majority, an overwhelming amount of our members” would vote against it.
During their first Friday meeting, House Democrats discussed a potential vote later Friday on a 30-day extension of funding for the nation’s highways, which expired at the end of Thursday, sources said.
The move would be supported by Republicans, a GOP leadership source said.
Temporarily extending the life of the Highway Trust Fund would take the pressure off Democrats to pass Biden’s infrastructure bill, which progressives in the House want tied to passage of the social spending bill by the Senate.
That chamber is split 50-50 between Democrats and Republicans, with Vice President Kamala Harris able to break any ties.
But two moderate Democratic senators — Joe Manchin of West Virginia and Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona — have refused to support the entire $3.5 trillion package, with Manchin saying Thursday that he wants it scaled back to just $1.5 trillion.
Asked Friday when a deal might be reached on the social spending bill, Rep. Henry Cuellar (D-Texas) said, “It won’t be today,” CNN reported.
Meanwhile, a spokesperson said Sinema was in Phoenix for an unspecified “medical appointment” but “continues remote negotiations with the White House.”
During Friday’s briefing, Psaki was also pressed on reports that the White House was playing both sides in negotiations, telling progressives and moderates separately to hold their ground and push their agendas.
“I can assure you, there is no moment in time where any senior member of this White House was arguing for anyone to vote against a piece of the president’s agenda,” Psaki said.
“What is also true is that we have been communicating with such a broad range of members from across the caucus that often we know where different parts of the caucus stand. And so we have been in many ways, liaisons along with leadership to convey: ‘This where this group stands, this is where that group may stand’ and conveying, so that we can help reach a unifying point and get across the finish line.”
The press secretary further emphasized that message later in the briefing, saying there has not been any point where the White House has “been arguing against or whipping against” Biden’s agenda.
