Joe Biden on Wednesday conceded that the unshakable threat of the Covid-19 pandemic had left many Americans demoralized, but insisted that his administration had “outperformed†expectations despite the myriad crises facing the nation during his first year in office.
Speaking to reporters in the East Room of the White House for his first solo news conference in months, the US president said he was confident Democrats could pass “big chunks†of his sprawling domestic policy bill currently stalled in the Senate before the 2022 midterm elections.
But Biden spoke as Senate Democrats were pressing ahead with what appeared to be a hopeless attempt to enact voting rights protections over unified Republican opposition.
“It’s been a year of challenges but it’s also been a year of enormous progress,†Biden said, outlining the administration’s early successes: passing coronavirus relief aid that slashed child poverty rates and a bipartisan infrastructure law that will shower funding for major public works projects on every state in the nation.
Biden was also realistic about the difficult road ahead, as the extremely contagious Omicron variant of the coronavirus overwhelms hospitals, inflation rises and his agenda languishes before a Congress controlled by Democrats.
“After almost two years of physical, emotional and psychological impact of this pandemic, for many of us, it’s been too much to bear,†he said. “Some people may call what’s happening now ‘the new normal’. I call it a job not yet finished. It will get better.â€
Grading his efforts to combat the pandemic, Biden insisted the US was better positioned now than when he took office, while acknowledging mistakes, such as not ordering more tests earlier. He vowed the US would not go back to the earliest days of the pandemic when lockdowns and school closures were widespread.
Wednesday’s press conference was his 10th since taking office, far fewer than his most recent predecessors. Only a limited number of journalists were credentialed for the press conference, and all were required to wear masks, a reminder of the virus’s continuing threat.
In the coming weeks, Biden said he would travel to states and districts across the country to promote his agenda and sell his administration’s accomplishments, trying to correct what he described as a communication failure. He believed key pieces of his Build Back Better agenda could pass the Senate, including popular plans to combat climate change and create a universal pre-kindergarten program.
Biden bristled at the notion that his agenda was progressive or radical in any way.
“I’m not asking for castles in the sky,†Biden said. “I’m asking for practical things the American people have been asking for for a long time.â€
Biden assailed Republicans for obstructing his agenda, accusing the party of lacking a policy core.
“What are Republicans for? What are they for? Name me one thing they’re for?†Biden asked.
Biden was unequivocal when asked whether Vice-President Kamala Harris would again be his running mate in 2024. “Yes,†he replied.
Asked how he could win back independent voters who supported him in 2020 but have become disillusioned with his leadership so far, Biden pushed back. “I don’t believe the polls.â€
