President Joe Biden could have one of his worst weeks as his poll numbers continue their slide, while his legislative agenda stagnates and his court battles are losing. In a 6-3 decision, the Supreme Court blocked President Biden from requiring employers with more than 100 employees in the United States to vacate their employees. This was a significant blow to the administration’s vaccination push.
The ruling was made while the president was lobbying support for the party’s bill to overhaul the United States’ federal electoral system. The president made a racially charged speech Tuesday, linking his GOP opposition with Democrat segregationists such as George Wallace. He also called for the suspension of the filibuster in order to pass the bill.
On Thursday, the president was informed that his speech, which was widely condemned by Republicans and even attracted criticism from longtime friends Rev. Al Sharpton’s appearance on Capitol Hill and his speech were not enough for Democratic Senators to be influenced. Joe Manchin and Kyrsten Silena were his supporters.
Manchin declared Thursday that he would not vote to remove or weaken filibustering. On Thursday, the president admitted that the bill might be dead for now.
Polling continues to show that the American public is not satisfied with Biden’s job performance, despite the stale legislation and defeat in the courts.
According to a Quinnipiac University poll, 33% of Americans approve of the president and 53% disapprove. The poll was conducted January 7-10 and published Wednesday. Biden’s approval rating is now at 33%, down from Quinnipiac’s November survey. Disapproval remains unchanged.
Quinnipiac polls show that the president is struggling to address three key issues: the economy (34%), foreign policies (35%), or the coronavirus pandemic (39%)
The president didn’t have much news this week on the economic front. Inflation rose at an alarming rate in December as consumers fear about the economy due to rapid price increases.
According to a Labor Department report, December’s consumer price index increased by 7% compared to one year ago. This is the fastest increase in inflation since June 1982 when it was 7.1%. CPI, which measures a variety of goods including gasoline, health care, groceries, and rents, increased 0.5% in the month ended November.
Biden was harassed by #BareShelvesBiden on Twitter. Users posted photos of empty shelves at grocery and retail stores as a result of supply chain problems that have lingered for several months.
The president’s promise to “shutdown” coronavirus in his campaign continues to haunt him. This was highlighted by 1.4million coronavirus cases in America on Monday, which is the highest daily total of coronavirus cases for any country since the outbreak.
On Thursday, the White House Press Secretary was asked about the state of the economy. Psaki replied that things were “going pretty badly right now.” He also cited the fact that 200,000,000 Americans have been vaccinated and noted “record job growth.”
Psaki stated that it is difficult to pass legislation when there is a narrow margin or threshold in the Senate. “And the fact the president, under his leadership got the American Rescue Plan, a bipartisan infrastructure bill, passed with 19 (Republican votes) in the Senate and six in the House, the fact we are still working with members to determine the best path forward on Build back Better, and that we have the vast majority support voting rights in the Senate, that’s a pathway forward for us.
Social media has seen conservatives attack the president for his rough week, detailing the many setbacks he’s endured.
