While Pres. Biden pitches his infrastructure plan to the American public, the real work of delivering his legislative agenda takes place behind the scenes.
The Associated Press
Their work on the massive coronavirus relief bill that passed in March helped Biden keep both progressives and moderates on board, with no defections and few public complaints. Biden's decades of experience as a senator and vice president make him well suited to steer negotiations with Capitol Hill, but also leave him keenly aware of the limitations that come with narrow Democratic majorities in the House and Senate.Virginia Democratic Sen. Mark Warner, who calls himself a “fairly tough taskmaster” on legislative discussions, says he’s had numerous late-night and weekend calls with the team about various bills.
The active engagement with lawmakers comes from an ethos set by the president himself, who spent nearly four decades in the Senate. Terrell said the president has advised the team to follow his own personal philosophy that “politics is personal” and “you have to make investments in building a real relationship — you don’t just call people when you need them.”
“He remembers and knows well about all the different kinds of iterations, and when there were floor fights and when there were breakthroughs and what caused them, and what really motivates a lot of these members,” she said. “So that probably further empowers the legislative team because it’s not like you can go around them,” he suggested.