The art of the possible
President Joe Biden has long expressed his view that politics is the “art of the possible” and that getting things done is a “matter of timing.” Although Build Back Better sits on the back burner for now, Biden and the Democratic leadership in Congress have been wasting no time pursuing what is possible while leading the charge toward progress.
Majority Leader Chuck Schumer made clear on Wednesday that he has “always said Democrats will work on a bipartisan basis whenever we can to pass commonsense legislation that will improve the lives of the American people.” Although the media tends to prefer covering the dramatic back-and-forth of contentious legislative battles, a surge of bipartisan bills this past week is making headlines.
Though “modest” in comparison with the ambitious Build Back Better Act, the new legislative activity nevertheless amounts to “consequential victories,” according to reporting from NBC News. On Tuesday, the House passed a bill with overwhelming bipartisan support to get the Postal Service in financial order and improve mail delivery, which will head to the Senate this week.
On Wednesday, the Senate voted to renew the Violence Against Women Act and finally announced an agreement to move forward with crafting an omnibus spending bill. On Thursday, the Senate voted to end the closed-door arbitration requirement for workplace sexual assault complaints.
This flurry of activity is not over, and a look at this week’s achievements shows what both parties can do if they work together under the right leadership. It also proves that Democrats don’t throw tantrums and hold the country hostage with meaningless bluster when they fail to get everything they want right exactly when they want it. President Biden and the Democratic Congressional leadership’s allegiance is clearly to the American people, and they remain as dedicated as always to getting things done.
Ron Leshnower is a lawyer and the author of several books, including President Trump’s Month