Biden’s ‘second half’ filled with struggles

Burdened by a foreign war, hampered by active opposition in the House and a fragile majority in the Senate, and facing a tough reelection campaign laden with issues of age, President Joe Biden enters the second half of his term confronted by difficult practical and political challenges.

Legislative agenda stalled
Justly proud of his legislative achievements in the last Congress, Biden must find a way to pursue his agenda with no realistic prospect of Congressional support. To date, the slim House Republican majority has shown surprising cohesion in the wake of its chaotic Speaker vote, whereas the Democrats are splintering, despite their invigorating midterm success.
As a result, occasional bipartisan efforts stimulated by emerging events (increased railway safety regulation, for example) are the only bills the president can expect to sign. Looming over all is the debt ceiling vote and its implications for domestic spending and international finance. If there is Medicare reform, it may not be what the president has recently outlined.

Nominations on hold
When the Democrats secured a 51st Senate seat in November, it seemed certain that Biden’s many nominees would be quickly confirmed so his ambitious regulatory initiatives could proceed. That hasn’t come to pass.