How can the Biden administration revive its agenda in 2022?

Digital in-conversation with Matt Bennett, Executive Vice President for Public Affairs at Third Way; and Miranda Lutz, Senior Associate, Global Counsel USA, discussing the progress of the Biden administration thus far and what is to come ahead of the November 2022 US midterm elections.

President Joe Biden’s administration entered its second year facing diminishing public support and a number of challenges, including the continuing covid-19 pandemic, unfulfilled legislative promises, decades-high inflation, and volatile geopolitical tensions with Russia and China. We discussed how these developments will shape the path forward for the Biden administration’s legislative priorities such as the Build Back Better Act - the president’s signature proposed social spending bill - and his regulatory agenda. In addition to analysing what is going on in Congress, Matt unpacked how the current political dynamics are affecting the Democrats midterm outlook with voters and what recent intra-party conflicts mean for the future of the Democratic Party.

 The discussion covered:

• Should the Biden administration attempt to revive the Build Back Better Act in whole, pursue smaller pieces of the draft legislation, or just abandon the effort and move on?
   
• What were the Biden administration’s priorities for the rest of 2022? Will the gridlock on Capitol Hill translate to a more aggressive enforcement posture for Biden regulators?
   
• Will President Biden and the Democrats’ early successes such as the American Rescue Plan and the bipartisan infrastructure package carry through to the midterm elections in November? What else can the Democrats do to help their midterm prospects?
   
• Looking ahead to post-2022, how would a potential Republican-controlled Congress impact President Biden’s governance style and policy objectives? How would the second half of a Biden administration, assuming one or both houses of Congress are lost to Republicans, compare to similar situations faced by past Democratic presidents, including Clinton and Obama?