President Biden hasn’t forgotten that Republicans have become intransigent and obstructionist. And Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) hasn’t suddenly decided to make the next two years a success for Biden’s administration.
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Nevertheless, it makes perfect sense that the two decided to travel together to deep-red Kentucky on Wednesday to tout the bipartisan infrastructure bill passed in 2021.
Given that House Republicans are unlikely to pass any meaningful legislation in the new Congress, Biden will have to focus on implementing his signature achievements and his successes to date. And he has much to point to. As senior White House adviser Anita Dunn and Brian Deese, director of the National Economic Council, wrote in a year-end memo, this includes $185 billion in infrastructure projects and funding for 6,900 specific projects across the country. The investments, they explained, will “generate economic opportunity for communities across the country, particularly traditional energy communities and areas that have been left behind in prior periods of economic expansion. And the investments will create job opportunities across a range of sectors and specialties, including many that do not require a college degree.”
But Biden also wants to emphasize his sincere belief that bipartisan cooperation is still possible. As he explained in his Christmas address, “Our politics has gotten so angry, so mean, so partisan. And too often we see each other as enemies, not as neighbors; as Democrats or Republicans, not as fellow Americans. We’ve become too divided.” His State of the Union address this year, the first he will deliver with Republicans in control of the House, will similarly tout past successes and promise that more progress is possible — if there is goodwill on both sides.
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White House spokesperson Andrew Bates tells me, “President Biden ran on working across the aisle in good faith. Pundits dismissed that commitment as naive, but he delivered on it.” Bates reiterated Biden’s “intention to continue to work with Republicans who are interested in the common good,” insisting that "his door is just as open as it has always been.”
Biden feels vindicated in his success bringing around enough Republicans to pass not just the infrastructure bill but also the Chips and Science Act, expanded health access for sick veterans and other legislation. Still, each of those achievements was made possible with a Democratic House majority. Now that Republicans are in control, Biden’s ability to reach across the aisle will be greatly tested.
That brings us to another rationale for Biden to extend an open hand: By appearing open to compromise on a range of issues, from immigration to crime to deficit reduction, he is putting the ball in the House’s court. If members can’t or won’t respond in a reasonable fashion on agenda items they say they want, then it will be clear which party is the extreme one and which is actually interested in governance.
Put differently, 2023 might be the year that Biden shows his bipartisan open hand. And 2024 could be the year he pummels Republicans who refuse to work constructively for the country’s benefit. Considering the utter dysfunction in the GOP ranks, Biden has the upper hand.
Meanwhile, McConnell has his own reason for making the trip. He has deliberately tried to dissociate Senate Republicans from their House counterparts, hoping that his caucus can maintain an image that is less toxic than House Republicans. McConnell was a driving force behind passage of the omnibus bill last month, not wanting to leave the risk of a government shutdown to the crazies in his party.
McConnell is not alone. In December, Sen. Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.) chided House Republicans for vowing to undo every Biden initiative, including the infrastructure bill. “The reality is this kind of chest thumping and immaturity doesn’t instill confidence in their ability to lead,” Cramer said.
Senate GOP whip John Cornyn of Texas, a close McConnell ally, similarly gave a terse reply to House Republicans’ threat to hold up any bill Senate Republicans supported. “That doesn’t sound like a recipe for working together in the best interest of the country, so I think this is just words spoken during the heat of passion,” he said.
It’s unclear whether McConnell’s members can escape the taint of extremism, especially when some of the more radical Senate Republicans make common cause with House MAGA members and former president Donald Trump. Democrats will certainly lump them all together in 2024 to make the case that McConnell is simply a better-behaved version of the MAGA leadership. Nevertheless, just as Biden wants to establish his credentials as the sane, reasonable leader, McConnell wants to make certain that if the House Republicans blow themselves up, Senate Republicans will stay clear of the blast zone.
Democrats prevailed in the November midterms largely because voters, especially independents, were convinced that Republicans were radical and irrational. Biden is seeking to drive that message home for the 2024 election. McConnell, meanwhile, is trying to steer clear of his House counterparts. We’ll see whether this is the beginning of a solid partnership of convenience.
Sign up for a weekly roundup of thought-provoking ideas and debates
Nevertheless, it makes perfect sense that the two decided to travel together to deep-red Kentucky on Wednesday to tout the bipartisan infrastructure bill passed in 2021.
Given that House Republicans are unlikely to pass any meaningful legislation in the new Congress, Biden will have to focus on implementing his signature achievements and his successes to date. And he has much to point to. As senior White House adviser Anita Dunn and Brian Deese, director of the National Economic Council, wrote in a year-end memo, this includes $185 billion in infrastructure projects and funding for 6,900 specific projects across the country. The investments, they explained, will “generate economic opportunity for communities across the country, particularly traditional energy communities and areas that have been left behind in prior periods of economic expansion. And the investments will create job opportunities across a range of sectors and specialties, including many that do not require a college degree.”
But Biden also wants to emphasize his sincere belief that bipartisan cooperation is still possible. As he explained in his Christmas address, “Our politics has gotten so angry, so mean, so partisan. And too often we see each other as enemies, not as neighbors; as Democrats or Republicans, not as fellow Americans. We’ve become too divided.” His State of the Union address this year, the first he will deliver with Republicans in control of the House, will similarly tout past successes and promise that more progress is possible — if there is goodwill on both sides.
Follow Jennifer Rubin's opinionsFollow
White House spokesperson Andrew Bates tells me, “President Biden ran on working across the aisle in good faith. Pundits dismissed that commitment as naive, but he delivered on it.” Bates reiterated Biden’s “intention to continue to work with Republicans who are interested in the common good,” insisting that "his door is just as open as it has always been.”
Biden feels vindicated in his success bringing around enough Republicans to pass not just the infrastructure bill but also the Chips and Science Act, expanded health access for sick veterans and other legislation. Still, each of those achievements was made possible with a Democratic House majority. Now that Republicans are in control, Biden’s ability to reach across the aisle will be greatly tested.
That brings us to another rationale for Biden to extend an open hand: By appearing open to compromise on a range of issues, from immigration to crime to deficit reduction, he is putting the ball in the House’s court. If members can’t or won’t respond in a reasonable fashion on agenda items they say they want, then it will be clear which party is the extreme one and which is actually interested in governance.
Put differently, 2023 might be the year that Biden shows his bipartisan open hand. And 2024 could be the year he pummels Republicans who refuse to work constructively for the country’s benefit. Considering the utter dysfunction in the GOP ranks, Biden has the upper hand.
Meanwhile, McConnell has his own reason for making the trip. He has deliberately tried to dissociate Senate Republicans from their House counterparts, hoping that his caucus can maintain an image that is less toxic than House Republicans. McConnell was a driving force behind passage of the omnibus bill last month, not wanting to leave the risk of a government shutdown to the crazies in his party.
McConnell is not alone. In December, Sen. Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.) chided House Republicans for vowing to undo every Biden initiative, including the infrastructure bill. “The reality is this kind of chest thumping and immaturity doesn’t instill confidence in their ability to lead,” Cramer said.
Senate GOP whip John Cornyn of Texas, a close McConnell ally, similarly gave a terse reply to House Republicans’ threat to hold up any bill Senate Republicans supported. “That doesn’t sound like a recipe for working together in the best interest of the country, so I think this is just words spoken during the heat of passion,” he said.
It’s unclear whether McConnell’s members can escape the taint of extremism, especially when some of the more radical Senate Republicans make common cause with House MAGA members and former president Donald Trump. Democrats will certainly lump them all together in 2024 to make the case that McConnell is simply a better-behaved version of the MAGA leadership. Nevertheless, just as Biden wants to establish his credentials as the sane, reasonable leader, McConnell wants to make certain that if the House Republicans blow themselves up, Senate Republicans will stay clear of the blast zone.
Democrats prevailed in the November midterms largely because voters, especially independents, were convinced that Republicans were radical and irrational. Biden is seeking to drive that message home for the 2024 election. McConnell, meanwhile, is trying to steer clear of his House counterparts. We’ll see whether this is the beginning of a solid partnership of convenience.
