Opinion: Joe Biden had a pretty good week
Biden's big week
President Joe Biden is wrapping up what I believe has been the best week of his time in office so far. He has scored several big victories in the last week, both here at home and overseas. These newfound successes have many in his party wondering if they might be able to defy the dreaded midterm curse.
The week of course did not start off great for the President. After being an isolation for a week due to a positive COVID-19 test, Biden tested positive once again for what his doctor called a “rebound case” and returned to isolation. But he tested negative over the weekend and will return to work once he receives a second negative test, the White House says.
But his isolation didn’t stop him from scoring several big wins this week. Congress handed the President a big legislative victory when they sent the CHIPS and Science Act to his desk. The bill is set to increase economic competitiveness with China and other world superpowers.
The bill, dubbed the Chips and Science Act, includes more than $52 billion for U.S. companies producing computer chips, as well as billions more in tax credits to encourage investment in chip manufacturing. It also provides tens of billions of dollars to fund scientific research and development, and to spur the innovation and development of other U.S. technologies.
Biden is also poised to earn another key legislative victory. Moderate Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin — who has stalled much of the President’s economic agenda, surprised his colleagues in July when he announced that he had reached a deal on a spending package with Majority Leader Chuck Schumer.
The Senate is now fast-tracking the Inflation Reduction Act, which invests $300 billion in climate change research, adds a 15% minimum tax for large corporations and extends ObamaCare subsidies for another three years.
On Tuesday, Kansas voters resoundingly rejected a referendum that would have paved the way for abortion restrictions in the first big test of abortion rights at the ballot box since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade. The result galvanized Democrats and abortion rights activists, who are eager to bring the issue front and center in the upcoming midterm elections.
On the economic front, the Biden Administration is taking a victory lap over the higher-than-expected July jobs report. Employers added 528,000 new jobs last month, giving White House officials another statistic to combat recession concerns from Republicans.
Gas prices, which have been a drag on the administration for most of the year, have been on a steady decline all across the country. As of Sunday morning, the national average price for a gallon of regular unleaded is $4.07, a far cry from the $5 peak we reached back in June. But that’s still higher than this time last year, when the average was $3.19.
The President also authorized a military strike that killed al Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawihiri. al Qaeda is the terrorist organization that took responsibility for the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. “Justice has bee delivered,” Biden said when he announced al-Zawihiri’s death. He promised that his administration will do whatever it takes to protect Americans from terrorist threats.
Despite all of these big victories, though, the President remains deeply unpopular — a fact that appears unlikely to change any time soon. According to FiveThirtyEight, his average nationwide approval sits at 39%. And many Americans still view the economy as a top concern as they prepare to cast their ballots in the midterms.
Nevertheless, Democrats are hoping that Biden’s recent successes will help the party defy midterm expectations. Since World War II, the President’s party has almost always suffers major losses in midterms elections.
But Democrats hope that the events of the last week can give the party a new message on the campaign trail. “We are giving our candidates something that they can be excited to talk about,” Sen. Brian Schatz (D-HI) told reporters.
So will any of this turn around Biden’s negative numbers? Will Democrats be able to defy midterm trends? The short answer is nobody knows. But regardless, I believe that this has been the best week of President Biden’s term so far. So in the words of Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA): “Let’s book the win and get right back in the fight.”