Washington Examiner, July 2022
President Joe Biden and congressional Democrats’ struggles to secure legislative wins are set to exacerbate expected losses in November’s midterm elections. Biden has returned from his criticized Middle East trip to one last window of Capitol Hill lawmaking before the August recess and fall campaigns. But with his agenda once again complicated by the likes of Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV), enthusiasm among the Democratic base remains low.
First lady Jill Biden has complained about the challenges the president has encountered from Democrats and Republicans alike. “He had so many hopes and plans for things he wanted to do, but every time you turned around, he had to address the problems of the moment,” the first lady told donors last weekend of her husband. “Joe truly believes in working with Congress and getting things done, but obviously, the Republicans are pulling together, and they’re not budging,” she said.
Despite the first lady pointing to Republicans, Northeastern University political science chairman and professor Costas Panagopoulos contended that Democrats were poised “to bear the brunt of the blame for inaction.”
