#News_Bidens first month was a honeymoon, but bigger challenges loom ahead

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Joe Biden has been working for months to secure a bigger bailout from the financial crisis. He changed the policy of his predecessor Donald Trump from climate change to a travel ban, while the delivery rate of America’s daily COVID-19 vaccine increased by 55%.

That can be the easy part.

The White House's broader strategy - avoiding unnecessary political battles, focusing on policies that appeal to the electorate and ignore the great Republican attack - will be even more difficult in the coming millions, Democrats and the United States say. Republicans, millions have been vaccinated and the economy is improving.

“They found some problems around the corner,” said Jim Manley, who was once the best assistant to former Democratic Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid.

Biden has made many changes and has clear authority from executive action. The landmines we move forward include pushing legislation that divides the Democratic Party, such as relief from college debt, tax increases, and cords in the energy industry.

So attractive political battles have defined American politics for a generation, including how to become a citizen, how easy it is to vote, how the government should pay for health care, who should carry a gun.

Meanwhile, many complex issues ranging from trade tariffs to China’s policy and technology oversight are still under review in the White House.

United Democrats?

Democrats are trying to pass their economic stimulus package with or without Republican support when a significant unemployment insurance expires in mid-March.

The bill only needs a majority, as it will go through a process called reconciliation, but will require every Democrat to be part of the White House. Doubts are growing that the bill includes a provision to raise the federal minimum wage to $ 1, which will disappoint the Liberal Democrats. 

"I was shocked at how disciplined the Left was; I'm not sure how long it will last," Manley said. "I can see that there are some cracks developing."

Those cracks were on display when some Democrats, including Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York and Senator Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, criticized Biden after he told CNN City Hall on the 16th. of February who disagrees with members of his party who want to forgive $ 50,000 in student debt.

A comprehensive White House-supported immigration bill unveiled on Feb. 18 is not expected to pass the Senate; the second Democrat, Dick Durbin, is among those suggesting a less ambitious effort to focus on immigrants brought to the United States as children.

Republicans are fixing up after the Trump years, said Paul Shumaker, a Republican strategist after the tough re-election of Senator Thom Tillis in North Carolina.

He noted that Biden could unite them by overstating on taxes and spending, while doing too little on these issues will disappoint some of his Democratic base.

“He’s enjoying a honeymoon period, but everyone knows the honeymoon will come to an end,” Shumaker said.

ELUSIVE REPUBLICAN SUPPORT

White House agents say the political agenda they plan to push in the coming months has appeal to bipartisan voters, and they believe Republicans in Congress may ultimately be forced to support it by their constituents.

"Will it be focused on winning the last Republicans? No, obviously not," said White House communications director Kate Bedingfield, a longtime Biden confidant.

"But he's going to reach out and talk to people on both sides of the lane - he's going to work to come up with plans that meet the needs of the people on both sides - yes, is he absolutely?"

Biden’s early voting numbers suggest it will be a challenge. Some 56% of Americans approve of his performance as president, according to a Reuters / Ipsos poll conducted in mid-February, but only 20% of Republicans.

The White House’s bipartisan hopes lie in an infrastructure plan, still in the embryonic stages of development, that is expected to exceed the scale, scope and price of the stimulus bill of about $ 1.9. trillion.

The measure will almost certainly expand the deficit and require some tax increases, measures expected to spur opposition. It is likely to be rife with climate change measures, and could also include subsidies proposed by Biden for the college, according to several people knowledgeable about early conversations.

Putting the pieces together would be hard without full senior staff, including Biden’s choice for budget director Neera Tanden, whose confirmation came in Democratic opposition from Senator Joe Manchin, who also opposed the -inclusion of the minimum wage in the stimulus account.

Despite this, the Left’s expectations for Biden remain high.

“The administration has come out brave and strong,” said Luis Hernandez, a youth-armed violence prevention activist who met with senior administration officials last week. "There's a lot more to do."

(Reporting by Trevor Hunnicutt; Editing by Heather Timmons and Daniel Wallis)