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With the vote on the infrastructure, Congress Biden gives the long-needed impetus for good news

WASHINGTON, Nov. 6 (Reuters) – Given this week’s election results in New Jersey and Virginia suggesting voters are mad at the Democrats, President Joe Biden urgently needed some good news. And on Friday he finally got a little. The Democratic-controlled House of Representatives passed a $ 1 trillion infrastructure bill three months after the Senate passed to repair the country’s airports, roads and bridges and sent the bill to Biden’s desk for signature. In addition, a comprehensive US $ 1.75 trillion social spending and climate bill that is at the heart of Biden’s presidential campaign has overcome a procedural hurdle in the House of Representatives, although it remains unclear when it will receive a final vote. It did so on the same day the government reported a better-than-expected increase of more than 500,000 jobs last month, suggesting the economic recovery is picking up pace. Pfizer Inc also said its experimental antiviral pill for COVID-19 has shown dramatic results.

In response, the stock market soared. Biden became president in January and got off to a good start by passing a $ 2 trillion stimulus package and launching vaccines to fight the spread of COVID-19. His government has successfully administered at least one dose of the vaccine to about 80% of the population and overseen strong economic growth. The Dow Jones Industrial Average, S&P 500, and Nasdaq all hit a series of record highs this week. But the White House has watched with concern as Biden’s approval ratings have steadily declined amid the ongoing pandemic, higher inflation, a chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan, and months of controversy among Democrats in Congress over infrastructure and social spending laws.

The alarm really sounded this week when Republican Glenn Youngkin defeated Democrat Terry McAuliffe in the race for governor of Virginia, a state that Biden won by 10 percentage points a year ago. In New Jersey, Democratic governor Phil Murphy narrowly won re-election against Republican Jack Ciattarelli in an unexpectedly tight election campaign. In both races, suburban and independent voters critical of Biden’s victory turned to the Republicans, a warning sign of next year’s midterm elections when control of Congress will be at stake. “FRUSTRATED BY INACTIVITY” The results showed voters are losing patience with the Democrats, a source close to the White House said. “When voters are frustrated by inaction, the obvious response is to be more determined and pass bills,” the source said. “There is a strong consensus in the party.” Matt Bennett, vice president of Third Way, a moderate Democratic think tank, said it was critical to get results that vulnerable Democrats in Congress can present to their constituents before the midterm elections.

“The argument over details sends a signal that we don’t know how to govern,” said Bennett. The White House has been eager for the infrastructure bill to release the house since it passed the Senate in August with 19 Republicans and 50 Democrats. It had been put on hold in parliament as the progressives tied their fate to the social spending package. His passage comes at an opportune time for Biden. The latest Reuters / Ipsos President approval poll shows roughly 48% of US adults approve of Biden’s performance, with respondents citing the economy as their primary concern. Priorities USA, a group that supports Democratic candidates, warned in a memo this week that “voters are frustrated, skeptical and tired – of COVID, economic hardship, school closings, higher prices and stagnating wages, and unaffordable prescription drugs and “Health Care and More. “Without results (and without communicating those results effectively) voters will punish the party in power,” said Chairman Guy Cecil. But the progressives within the party will not be appeased until the House of Representatives – and then the Senate – passes the $ 1.75 trillion “Build Back Better” bill, which includes provisions on education, childcare and prescription drug prices, among other things . But even if the House of Representatives clears it up, which cannot be taken for granted, the Senate bill will encounter obstacles that will make significant changes. Polls continue to suggest Americans are unsure whether they will benefit from this bill. In a poll released this week by Emerson College, 39% of respondents believed this will have a negative impact on their lives, while 34% said it will have a positive impact. Third Way’s Bennett argued that it would take Congress candidates a long time to sell the benefits of the bills to skeptical voters. “Selling great laws often takes time,” said Bennett. “When voters start hearing a consistent narrative about what the law means to them, they slowly start to like it. But it will take us most of the next year to get this in time for midterms in November. ‘

(Reporting by James Oliphant and Trevor Hunnicutt; Editing by Scott Malone and Daniel Wallis)

Photo: MANDEL NGAN AFP

https://en.as.com/en/2021/11/06/latest_news/1636190686_121935.html