WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden may be on the verge of enacting a massive social spending plan that’s widely considered to be the crown jewel of his legislative agenda.
But the bill that he has expended much of his political capital on still might not be enough to motivate his party’s base.
As Biden nears the end of months-long congressional negotiations over a nearly $2 trillion budget bill, civil rights leaders and liberal activists are warning the president that he must also act on issues they say are urgent — especially voting rights — after he and the Democratic majority in Congress finish with spending legislation.
Absent progress there, dedicated Democrats— including many Black voters and grassroots progressives — won’t back the party’s candidates with the same level of energy as they did in recent campaigns during next year’s midterm elections, they say, no matter how many new climate and economic programs the president signs into law.