Perhaps more than any recent president, Biden bet his reputation and his government’s fortunes on his ability to work with a polarized Congress, where Democrats have only the smallest margin of control. Despite the recent history of legislative inertia and toxic policies, Biden has made it clear that he believes he can leverage his 36 years of experience and relationships on Capitol Hill to work across the corridor and achieve the advances needed to lead the nation through its multiple crises – this “Rare and difficult time”, as he said.
He immediately started trying to strengthen his bond with Republicans, inviting Senator Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, the Republican leader who waited a month to recognize him as President, and Representative Kevin McCarthy of California, the House’s top Republican who supported the about his victory, to attend Mass with him on Wednesday morning, before the inauguration.
Mr. McConnell, in a lighter post-inaugural moment that served as a reminder of the Washington club circles in which the president has been comfortable, said Mr. Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris as a “son and daughter “of the Senate because of his service there, while ironically pointing out that neither of them was ever a member of the Chamber, the senators of the Chamber love to ridicule as the inferior organ. Ms. Harris received a standing bipartisan standing ovation in the Senate when she came in to chair for the first time after her oath as vice president.
In his speech, Biden also reminded members of the House and Senate present that he was one of them.
“Look, folks,” he said, using one of his favorite expressions, “all my colleagues I worked with in the House and Senate here – we all understand that the world is watching, watching all of us today.”
But it will take more than Biden’s trademark and good nature to break the lingering impasse in Congress. Republicans are already facing growing challenges to those nominated by the cabinet, and Biden has almost become the first president since Jimmy Carter to not receive confirmation from a cabinet nominee during his first hours in office. At the last minute, Senator Tom Cotton, Republican of Arkansas, gave up his objection to confirmation by Avril D. Haines to be the director of national intelligence. Still, nominations for other national security positions that normally pass immediately after a president takes office have remained paralyzed.