Biden's Agenda Faces Uphill Battle After Infrastructure Bill Passes

President Joe Biden is facing an uphill battle for the second half of his economic agenda after the House passed his $1.2 trillion infrastructure deal designed to improve the country’s roads, highways, bridges, transportation, and broadband over the weekend.

The president has called his first year in the oval office a “once in a generation” opportunity to improve the nation’s infrastructure and expand the social safety net. But the rest of his Build Back Better plan currently hangs in the balance.

Congress looks to pass Biden’s agenda as his poll number have dropped to an all-time low of 38%. Biden is planning a trip to promote his agenda across the country, where he says Americans will be able to see the effects of the bill take shape in two to three months.

“This is about many, many years ahead, starting now. This is how we do right by the next generation,” said Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg.

Biden says the infrastructure bill could be signed next week when lawmakers return to the nation’s capital from the Veterans Day break. “I do not have a date, but it will be very soon.” said White House spokeswoman Karine Jean-Pierre.

The battle is only half over as Congressional Democrats struggle to pass the $1.85 trillion social spending package aimed at providing universal pre-K, a child tax credit, paid family leave, expanding Medicare to cover hearing, affordable housing, and combating climate change.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D- N.Y., says Democrats will aim to pass the widely debated bill by Thanksgiving. Biden says he is “confident” the bill will have enough votes to pass, but Dems must thread a tight needle to pass the spending bill via budget reconciliation.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D- Calif., cannot afford to lose more than three votes. The bill will then face a roadblock in the Senate as the Congressional Budget Office has yet to release a full price tag for the plan, leading to key holdouts from Sens. Joe Manchin, D- W. Va., and Kyrsten Sinema, D- Ariz.

Both Manchin and Sinema have been publicly confronted by their constituents as well as activists for their reluctance to support the second half of the president’s agenda. Dems need their support in the Senate to force a 50-50 tie plus a tiebreaking vote from Vice President Kamala Harris.

If both bills manage to pass, Democrats will have one last battle to fight before year's end as they will be forced to either suspend or raise the debt ceiling to avoid the first debt default in U.S. history, which would have horrendous effects on the nation’s economy.