President Joe Biden on Monday warned the remaining two years of his presidency will be tough if the Republican Party wins control of Congress in November’s midterm elections.
Speaking at a Democratic National Committee fundraiser in Boston, Biden said that unless Democrats maintain control of the House and Senate, it will be near impossible to pass any legislation.
“If we lose the House or lose the Senate, it’s going to be a really difficult two years,” Biden said, according to The Associated Press. “I’ll be spending more time with the veto pen than getting anything done.”
Biden also said most voters do not support former President Donald Trump’s extremist “make America great again” ideology, which he has denounced as akin to “semi-fascism.”
Polling shows Republicans are expected to win the House, but project a slight edge for Democrats in the Senate, according to poll aggregation site FiveThirtyEight.
Democrats currently hold an eight-seat majority in the House. The evenly divided Senate is led by Democrats, with Vice President Kamala Harris casting tie-breaking votes several times.
Congressional Republicans have already set out some of their priorities if they return to power.
House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) has vowed to investigate the Justice Department, issuing a direct warning to Attorney General Merrick Garland on Twitter following the FBI search of Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate: “Preserve your documents and clear your calendar.”
McCarthy also has pledged to probe Dr. Anthony Fauci, Biden’s chief medical adviser, accusing him of being responsible for closing schools and businesses during the height of COVID.
Meanwhile, Biden continued his outspoken tone and listed the stakes in November, including the right to vote, the right to privacy and the fight against climate change.
“I don’t think that’s hyperbole,” Biden said. “It’s about democracy itself.”
Biden added he wants to enshrine abortion rights in the Constitution, warning that if Republicans win a congressional majority they will seek to codify the Supreme Court’s decision overturning Roe v. Wade. He warned that other rights also could be in jeopardy.
“Mark my words — you’re gonna see moves on other privacy issues from contraceptions to married a whole range of things,” he said.
Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas wrote in his concurring abortion opinion in June that justices should reconsider other cases that rest on the right to privacy — specifically those protecting contraception access and same-sex relationships.
Still, the president expressed optimism about the future of the country.
“I genuinely am more optimistic about the prospects for America, not because I’m president, because of the nature of where we are as a country,” Biden said.
He continued: “This generation coming up, is the single most engaged generation.”
