“There is a good deal of frustration that things aren’t getting done, and we’ve got to get this thing back on track” said Ohio Congressman Tim Ryan, echoing concerns raised by other Democrats this week. “We’re not doing good enough.” | FarrahTomazin
US President Joe Biden faces internal dissent on the eve of his first anniversary in office, with demoralised Democrats urging him to reset his agenda or risk a wipe-out at this year’s midterm elections.
Democrats, who only have 50 votes in the chamber – the same as Republicans – are now seeking to reduce that threshold but face fierce opposition among GOP Senators and within party ranks. “I will not support separate actions that worsen the underlying disease of division affecting our country.” The family of Dr Martin Luther King also used Monday’s annual celebration of Dr King’s life, known as “MLK Day”, to lash out at the rebel senators.
Among those now urging Biden to reset the agenda is his former presidential candidate rival, Bernie Sanders, who has repeatedly warned this month that the Democrats needed to make a “course correction” or risk losing more working people to the Republicans. “The Democrats’ fight right now is not with Republicans - it’s among themselves, so the Democrats need to make sure that they have their own house in order,” prominent Episcopal Bishop Reginald Jackson told CNN.