As Biden agenda advances in Congress, White House weighs new offensive on inflation
After nearly eight months of gridlock, President Biden’s push to overhaul the economy is finally gaining momentum as congressional Democrats overcome their internal divisions and advance his signature legislative initiatives.
Long stymied by seemingly intractable divisions, Biden in the same week signed into law a $1.2 trillion bipartisan infrastructure bill while also pushing through the House of Representatives a separate, $2 trillion social and climate policy measure that has become the centerpiece of the president’s vision to change the American economy. The president is also expected to pick the new chair of the Federal Reserve within days, a major decision shaping the nation’s economic fate.
The burst of progress on Biden’s economic agenda comes amid unresolved strains that the administration in recent months has struggled to confront, with high inflation emerging as a top concern for American voters amid the biggest price hikes in nearly three decades. Republicans have blamed the inflation problems on Biden’s economic agenda, but there are signs that the White House could soon push back more forcefully, saying that large corporations are partly to blame for the dramatic increase in costs.
White House aides also are hopeful that coronavirus booster shots, the authorization of vaccines for younger children, and predictions of fast economic growth for 2022 could represent a major turnaround. They have spent much of their first year in office refereeing legislative infighting and dealing with the pandemic’s continued economic impact.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/as-biden-agenda-advances-in-congress-white-house-weighs-new-offensive-on-inflation/ar-AAQVVzI