President Biden has promised to bridge the bipartisan political divide, but, struggling to garner Republican support for major bills, it appears his government is changing the narrative by redefining what ‘two-party’ means.
First, Biden’s $ 1.9 billion coronavirus relief package succeeded without a single GOP vote, and now its massive infrastructure package is being faced by strong Republican opposition in Washington. Biden insists he enjoys the support of both parties, but points to Republican voters and officials outside the Beltway.
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“If you were looking for ‘dual’ in the dictionary, I would say support from Republicans and Democrats,” Anita Dunn, Biden’s senior adviser, told the Washington Post. “It does not say that Republicans should be in Congress. ‘
Mike Donilon, Biden’s senior adviser, pointed to the president’s new definition of “bipartisan” as “an agenda that unites the country and appeals to the political spectrum.”
“I think it’s a good definition to say that you’re pursuing an agenda that will unite the country, that will bring Democrats and Republicans across the country together,” Donilon told the Post. “Presumably, if you have an agenda that is popular with Democrats and Republicans across the country, then you should have elected representatives who reflect that.”
Former Obama chief of staff Rahm Emanuel commented on the move and told the newspaper: “What has become crystal clear is that Biden has redefined two parties.” The former Chicago mayor explained that, “it’s not how many Republicans I have,” but “how many Republican voters or mayors and governors I can get to support my stuff.”
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“And Washington is slow to catch up with the Biden definition,” he added.
Biden acknowledged the shift to the public and away from Republican officials when he discussed his U.S. Jobs plan in Pittsburgh in late March.
“When I wrote this, everyone was saying I had no dual support. We are overwhelmingly supportive of two parties with Republican registered voters,” Biden said. “And ask around. If you live in a city with a Republican mayor, a Republican provincial governor or a Republican governor, ask them how much they would rather get rid of the plan. Ask them if it helped them at all.”
The president then added, “I hope Republicans in Congress will participate in this effort.”
The changing definition of ‘two-party’ comes at a time when Democrats are justifying the content of the Infrastructure Act by redefining the meaning of ‘infrastructure’.
Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, DN.Y., was the first to draw attention when she tweeted: “Paid leave is infrastructure. Child care is infrastructure. Care is infrastructure.”
This has led to a chorus of criticism and ridicule from legislators and experts from both sides of the political spectrum.
“Abortion is infrastructure. Gun control is infrastructure. Forced union is infrastructure. Whatever is left is infrastructure. You know what not? Roads and bridges.” Ted Cruz, R-Texas, tweetedwhich states that only 5% of the infrastructure bill actually deals with roads and bridges.
Keith Olbermann, the liberal former MSNBC host, said that while he agrees with the issues Gillibrand mentioned are important, it is certainly not an infrastructure.
“[W]”If you exhaust a word that means it, you damage its impact, your cause and the value of language,” Olbermann said.
Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm continued the trend Sunday, telling ABC’s “This Week” that lawmakers need to reconsider the meaning of infrastructure.
“It’s not static. In 1990, we would not have thought broadband was infrastructure because it was not yet on the scene, but of course we have broadband in every pocket of the country,” Granholm said. She then added that “we do not want to use definitions of ‘infrastructure’ from the past as we move into the future.”
That same day, House President Nancy Pelosi, D-California, told CBS ‘”Face the Nation” that Democrats will not limit the infrastructure bill to cover roads, bridges and waterways, because the infrastructure is – it’s about education, keeping children healthy to get. at school with separation, sanitation, ventilation. It is also about investing in housing. “
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Transport Secretary Pete Buttigieg told NBC’s “Meet the Press” last week that the Biden government would like dual legislative support for the infrastructure bill, but indicated that a lack of it would not stop them.
“We can not allow politics to delay it to where it does not actually happen,” he said.
Fox News’ Peter Aitken contributed to this report.