Joe Biden’s problems pile up, but he has a new puppy
- President’s political capital at a low ebb less than a year ahead of midterm elections
- New puppy at White House a furry distraction from Joe Biden’s political morass
Returning to the White House from a weekend at his family home in Delaware, the 79-year-old president, wearing a black face mask, headed straight from his helicopter to the Oval Office without a word or a glance at a scrum of waiting reporters.
The president has not publicly responded to Manchin’s body blow, confining himself to a single tweet.
“Right now, there’s a kid out there whose family can’t afford her insulin because it costs $1,000 per month,” Biden tweeted on Monday. “The Build Back Better Act would cap their monthly insulin costs at $35. I’m committed as ever to getting it done for them.”
Democratic Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer sought to rally his demoralised troops, pledging to bring the bill – the centrepiece of Biden’s domestic agenda – to the Senate floor.