President Joe Biden acknowledged that the pandemic has left Americans exhausted and demoralized but insisted he has 'outperformed' expectations.
WASHINGTON -- President Joe Biden acknowledged Wednesday that the pandemic has left Americans exhausted and demoralized but insisted at a news conference marking his first year in office that he has"outperformed" expectations. He said he would likely have to settle for"big chunks" of his signature economic package to break an impasse in Congress.
Despite his falling approval numbers, Biden claimed to have"probably outperformed what anybody thought would happen" in a country still coping with the coronavirus.President Joe Biden will try to talk anxious Americans through the challenges of delivering on his lengthy to-do list in a conference today.
Biden has held just six solo news conferences during his first year in office. The ongoing threat from the coronavirus was evident in the very setup of Wednesday's gathering: A limited number of reporters were allowed to attend, and all had to have been tested for the virus and wear masks. And just a month ago, Manchin blocked Biden's roughly $2 trillion legislation aiming to address climate change, reduce child poverty and expand the social safety net, paid for by new taxes on the wealthy. That bill, which contains much of what Biden hopes will form an enduring domestic legacy, is now on the back burner as Democrats await guidance from Biden on how to proceed.
Senate Democratic whip Dick Durbin encouraged Biden to be"honest and realistic" in his comments to Americans, particularly about the harsh realities of what's possible in a 50-50 divided Senate where any one lawmaker can block Biden's agenda.
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