Biden Concedes Frustration, Saying He'll Keep Working

With bills stuck in Congress, president plans to lobby nation
By Bob Cronin,  Newser Staff
Posted Oct 2, 2021 5:25 PM CDT
Biden Concedes Frustration, Saying He'll Keep Working
President Biden speaks with members of the press Saturday before boarding Marine One on the South Lawn of the White House.   (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)

With his domestic legislation not moving on Capitol Hill, even after his trip there Friday, President Biden insisted success is still possible, saying he'll "work like hell" to achieve it. But the president didn't try to sugarcoat the situation Saturday. "Everybody is frustrated," he said. "It's part of being in government—being frustrated." The president made the comment to reporters, as he left the White House for Delaware, when asked what he would tell moderates who want a vote on the bipartisan bill that would fund basic infrastructure, ABC reports.

The president will keep negotiating with members of Congress from Wilmington, Press Secretary Jen Psaki said in a statement, adding that Biden also plans to hit the road to build support for his agenda. "I'm going to try and sell what I think the American people will buy," Biden said Saturday, per CBS. "I believe that when the American people are aware of what's in it, we'll get it done." When he met with House Democrats on Friday, they discussed cutting his $3.5 trillion infrastructure plan to $2 trillion or less.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi sent a letter to House Democrats on Saturday saying that the decision to delay the vote on the infrastructure bill to focus on the economic bill was made because "more time was needed to reach our goal of passing both bills, which we will." The struggle between Democratic moderates and progressives could have repercussions, per CNN. "There are people in the caucus who are going to burn it all down for ideology, I suppose," one Democrat said. "I am profoundly disappointed and disillusioned by this process," said another. (More President Biden stories.)

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