With the passage of his infrastructure package in Congress, Joe Biden has achieved a partial success. However, this will hardly help the president out of the polls. As the recent elections showed, many Americans do not want an overly caring state.

Due to the partially embarrassing results in regional and local elections, US President Joe Biden and his Democratic Party desperately needed a sense of achievement. On Friday the time had finally come: After months of internal party wing battles, Biden and Nancy Pelosi, the Democratic chairman of the House of Representatives, did everything they could to bring their MPs into line. Should the core of Biden’s domestic political agenda not dissolve into thin air, the two billion dollar spending packages for infrastructure, climate protection and social programs had to be passed – now or never.

Thanks to positive data from the labor market, the President started the day with a tailwind. “This morning, we learned that in October, our economy created 531,000 jobs — well above expectations,” Biden triumphed at a press conference.

Unemployment fell to 4.6 percent in this “historically strong recovery”. And this development is no coincidence, but the result of the economic stimulus package passed in March, which among other things provided the means for one of the “fastest mass vaccination programs”.

In order for the economic upswing to have a lasting and noticeable effect on the people, the congress must, however, adopt its infrastructure plan and its “Build Back Better” package for climate protection and social programs, emphasized Biden. “If your number one issue is the cost of living, the number one priority should be seeing Congress pass these bills.” As these would give families a little more air to breathe.

Republican court Biden

Biden postponed the planned weekend getaway to his beach house and met with Vice President Kamala Harris and other advisors at the White House. From there he tried to talk to fickle MPs into conscience with phone calls. Despite Biden’s tireless efforts, it should take until shortly before midnight for the House of Representatives to approve its infrastructure package with 228 to 206 votes. It was a hangover right up to the end: Because 6 left-wing Democrats voted against it, the proposal only got through thanks to 13 moderate Republicans who voted in favor.

For Biden, who likes to see himself as a bridge-builder between the two big parties, the republican rifle aid is by no means a blemish. However, the “deviants” caused an outcry among right-wing MPs. For example, tweeted the Republican Matt Gaetz: “I can’t believe Republicans just gave the Democrats their socialism bill.”

I can’t believe Republicans just gave the Democrats their socialism bill.

— Matt Gaetz (@mattgaetz) November 6, 2021

The American President was visibly relieved on Saturday morning in the White House: “Well, finally: Infrastructure Week. (Laughter.),” said Biden. His package includes investments totaling $ 1.2 trillion over the next eight years, adding $ 550 billion to already planned spending. The plan will create well-paying jobs for workers and modernize the American transportation system, the president said.

“According to the World Economic Forum, we rank 13th in the world. The United States of America ranks 13th in the world in infrastructure. Come on.”

Since the Senate had already passed the infrastructure package in August, Biden only has to put his signature on it so that a large amount of money can soon flow. 110 billion are earmarked for the renewal of roads and bridges, 73 billion for the power grid, 66 billion for the railways, 65 billion for the expansion of broadband internet in rural areas, 55 billion for new water pipes and 39 billion for local public transport. Ports and airports are also to be modernized and a nationwide network of charging stations for electric cars is to be set up.

Only a partial success

Much had been discussed about elections and the will of the voters, emphasized Biden and addressed his words to his own party: “Democrats, they want us to deliver.” Last night the MPs had proven they could. “On one big item, we delivered.”

The second, much bigger thing, however, fell by the wayside on Saturday night: “Build Back Better”, the climate protection and social package preferred by the left-wing of the party, wants state support for childcare for $ 1.85 trillion, among other things and upbringing, introduce four-week parental leave or subsidize the purchase of electric vehicles. For weeks, left-wing democrats had tied their approval of the infrastructure package to the adoption of “Build Back Better”, thereby blocking the former. This strategy has now not worked, even if Biden was confident that the House of Representatives would also adopt its second bill later in November and send it to the Senate.

Whether the government spending packages can really get the Democrats and their presidents out of the slump in popularity is questionable. As the gubernatorial election in Virginia, last week showed, household income is by no means the only dominant variable for American voting behavior.

Cultural, religious or political convictions also play an important role, especially in the less educated classes. In addition, many Americans who voted against Trump and for Biden a year ago obviously do not want an overly dirigistic and caring state.

Alluding to Franklin D. Roosevelt’s “New Deal” in the 1930s, Democratic MP Abigail Spanberger recently said of Biden: “Nobody elected him to be FDR. They elected him to be normal and stop the chaos.”

Image Credit: Getty

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