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It’s Time We Give Joe Biden Credit [1]
['This Content Is Not Subject To Review Daily Kos Staff Prior To Publication.']
Date: 2023-06-02
His poll numbers remain in the low to mid 40’s. In head-to-head matchups with Donald Trump and Ron DeSantis the race is considered a toss-up. Most Democrats wish someone else was running for President in 2024.
Yes, he does not have the charisma of Bill Clinton or the oratorical skills of Barak Obama. But Joe Biden has proven himself as an effective President who knows how to use his office to get things done.
This week’s resolution of the extension of the debt limit is the latest example of a leader who can effectively negotiate a deal with a divided Congress.
Biden initially refused to negotiate over the debt limit and was criticized by progressives when he ultimately agreed to meet with McCarthy to discuss ways to avoid a crisis. But Biden was right to take a firm position when it was unclear whether McCarthy would be able to cobble together a plan with a divided Republican conference and a slim four vote majority. However, after the Republicans passed their plan in the House, the dynamic shifted. Biden could have continued to refuse to negotiate by citing the 14th amendment (which prevents the United States from failing to make payments even if it means breaching the debt limit) and just ignore the law to extend the debt limit. Some constitutional scholars have made that argument. However, such action would certainly be legally challenged and drag out the process with a final decision by the Supreme Court uncertain. Biden took the safer and wiser route.
Throughout the negotiations, Biden never overtly criticized McCarthy and always expressed his belief that a deal would be made. Once the deal was done McCarthy gleefully announced it to the Press. When members of the Press asked Biden if he thought he got the better of the deal, Biden demurred knowing that saying so would only threaten the chance of Republicans voting for the measure.
Progressives were upset with some of the provisions of the bill; particularly the work requirement for food stamps for those aged 50-54, the reduction of $20 billion for the IRS to go after tax cheats, and a cap on non-defense spending. Yet, all veterans and homeless would be exempt from the food stamp work requirement, which would keep the total number of food stamp recipients about where they are now. While there will be $20 billion less for IRS enforcement than what Biden had proposed, that’s still a $60 billion increase. The cap on discretionary spending is only for two years (not the 10 years that the Republican plan required) and with clawbacks of unused Covid funds and other “emergency spending” exemptions, billions of dollars will be made available for such spending.
For these concessions, Biden got a two-year extension of the debt limit. Not only is this AFTER the next presidential election, but it is a suspension of the debt limit, not an increase, which could have required Congress to face this problem again.
The bottom line is Joe Biden successfully negotiated a deal that avoided what could have been an economic catastrophe.
Consider the other legislative successes under his Presidency: the most significant climate change legislation ever enacted; the Infrastructure Bill which will grow the economy and create millions of jobs; and the Chips bill which will increase American chip manufacturing and alleviate our reliance on China. Isn’t time to give credit where credit is due?
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[1] Url:
https://www.dailykos.com/story/2023/6/2/2172889/-It-s-Time-We-Give-Joe-Biden-Credit
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