What’s next for the Biden agenda?

Global Counsel discussed the current US political and policy landscape, and the outlook for the fall legislative season and beyond, with Matt Bennett, executive VP for policy at Washington, DC-based think tank Third Way and a longtime participant in and observer of Democratic politics. 

Highlights from the discussion:

• Despite a messy withdrawal from Afghanistan, Bennett is sceptical that the US’ standing in the world has taken a hit, as international allies broadly understood that withdrawal from Afghanistan was necessary.
   
• The events in Afghanistan and the rapid rise of the covid-19 delta variant are unlikely to have a major impact on President Biden’s domestic priorities, namely the bipartisan infrastructure bill and the budget reconciliation bill.
   
• While it is difficult to predict what the final price tag of the budget reconciliation bill might be, it is almost certainly going to be less than $3.5 trn, as key moderate Democrats in the Senate – Sens. Joe Manchin of West Virginia and Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona - will not support a $3.5 trn bill.