Biden’s First Big Win

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said he would return to the drawing table to draft a $3.5 trillion package focusing on these issues and giving special emphasis to the climate crisis as soon as the current bill passes. But given the razor-thin Democratic majority, it’s hard to envision such legislation going forward — not only because of its cost, but because of what’s inside.

Biden has learned an important lesson about the limits of political power. After the elections, Democrats celebrated at the prospect of controlling the presidency, backed by majorities in both houses that would override the filibuster and aggressively advance their legislative agenda, including the addition of Washington, D.C., as the 51st state.

Those unrealistic expectations ran into cold reality when senators from the moderate wing of the party, such as West Virginia’s Joe Manchin and Arizona’s Krysten Sinema, reminded their colleagues time after time that the party’s goal is not to win once by chance, but to try to keep its majority, and to do that it needs to avoid alienating voters in conservative states such as their own, if Dems want to continue winning there.

While the Democrats got a win, they had to make big compromises to get there. Instead of getting everything they wanted, they’ll get a package focusing on core infrastructure issues such as water, roads, and trains. Other ideas, such as free education, day care and care for the elderly, are important issues, but will have to be debated separately, and without a compromise, it’s doubtful whether there is a Democratic majority for them.