Timing is everything, according to President Joe Biden.
For example, it’s now time for even more Americans to line up for their Covid-19 vaccinations. The administration doubled its vaccination goal in Biden’s first 100 days — now, 200 million shots. States around the country are announcing dates when residents 16 and older will be eligible for vaccinations, as dangerous variants threaten to halt the progress the country has made.
And it’s partially why, despite a second horrific mass shooting in as many weeks, Biden is focusing first on an infrastructure and jobs bill, not on extensive gun reform. His administration has spent weeks teeing up the multi-trillion dollar package as the administration’s next big policy goal after Covid-19 relief.
“We are going to move on these [issues] one at a time, and try to do as many simultaneously as we can,” Biden said at his first press conference as President on Thursday.
On Capitol Hill, the filibuster managed to edge its way into multiple policy fights. After all, the Senate’s 60-vote requirement appears to be hamstringing Biden policy movement, as few, if any, Republicans have signaled interest in working with Biden.
Yet there’s a big caveat here. Moving the vote passage threshold to 51 votes won’t be the instant silver bullet some Democrats are looking for. Senate Democrats do not function in ideological lockstep, and there’s no reason to expect moderates like Kyrsten Sinema and Joe Manchin to fall in line if the filibuster goes kaput.
Meanwhile, former President Donald Trump continued to perpetuate dangerous lies about the January 6 insurrection — yet another Republican apparently trying to rewrite history.
It’s now time for Vice President Kamala Harris’ first big policy assignment: Boosting her foreign policy bonafides to try to detangle the latest surge of migrants at the southern border.
The Point: Biden is trying to keep time on his side in the back half of his first 100 days.
