| President Biden and Democrats are attempting to execute something that has eluded them for months: a drama-free week. Part one of that mission was completed Monday as Biden, surrounded by Democratic lawmakers (and some Republicans), signed the $1 trillion bipartisan infrastructure package into law. His signature put a bow on the months-long push-and-pull effort, which included multiple pleas to House Democrats and weeks of talks over the summer to bring Republicans on board (The Hill). The president hailed improvements the bipartisan legislation will bring across the country as “infrastructure week,” once a running joke nationally, became law. “My message to the American people is this: America is moving again and your life is going to change for the better,” Biden said in prepared remarks, highlighting provisions for replacing lead pipes, implementing broadband and improving public transit. As The Hill’s Brett Samuels and Morgan Chalfant note, Biden was joined on the South Lawn by hundreds of federal, state and local lawmakers, headlined by Sens. Rob Portman (R-Ohio) and Kyrsten Sinema (D-Ariz.), who both delivered remarks, and Democratic leaders. In an attempt to capitalize on the political win, Biden is taking his good news on the road today and will deliver remarks pumping up the infrastructure law in New Hampshire. But whether one good day for the Biden administration will be followed by others remains an open question, and it will likely be answered in the party’s push to pass the multi trillion-dollar Build Back Better agenda. Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) said in remarks at the White House on Monday that the $1.75 trillion proposal “hopefully” will be passed this week in the lower chamber, with Democratic leaders receiving positive news on that front. The Congressional Budget Office on Monday announced that it expects to release a score of the gargantuan bill by the end of the week. The news buoys the chances that the legislation will get across the finish line according to Pelosi’s timeline, as centrist Democrats have demanded an estimate from the congressional scorekeeper before any vote is held (The Hill). As The Hill’s Scott Wong and Mike Lillis write, the bipartisan bill becoming codified, coupled with progress on the party’s massive social spending proposal, comes at a key time for Biden. Since taking office, the president has seen his approval rating stumble precipitously and has taken a hit due to rising inflation and the COVID-19 pandemic, which continues to create issues for the U.S. The Wall Street Journal: What’s in the bipartisan infrastructure bill? From Amtrak to roads to water systems. Reuters: U.S. Senate leader will add China tech bill to defense measure. While things are looking up in the House’s effort to pass the reconciliation bill, its future in the Senate remains murky as lawmakers brace for debate on it to keep them in town well into December. As The Hill’s Jordain Carney notes, the timeline for the legislation’s passage has slipped a number of times, but Democrats say they want to get it done this year even if it slips into Christmas or up against the end of the year, threatening the annual holiday recess. The Senate is already dealing with the annual National Defense Authorization Act before Thanksgiving, meaning consideration of the Democratic-only package will slip until December, with Schumer warning weekend work and late nights will be needed. The New York Times: Biden got his bipartisan win. Now, reality sets in. Gerald F. Seib, The Wall Street Journal: Revolutionary change or practical help? Democrats struggle with the difference. The Washington Post: Biden has underestimated problems facing the country — and Democrats fear that has become a political problem. Elsewhere in the upper chamber, Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee, announced that he will retire at the end of his term and will sidestep seeking a ninth term in office next fall. “It is time to pass the torch to the next Vermonter who will carry on this work for our great state. It’s time to come home,” Leahy told reporters at the Vermont State House on Monday morning. The president pro tempore, who is third in the presidential line of succession, informed Biden, a longtime colleague of his, in a call over the weekend (The Washington Post). His decision also creates an open Democratic seat on the 2022 map, but it is widely expected to remain in the party’s grasp. Rep. Peter Welch (D-Vt.), the state’s at-large member, is likely the favorite if he decides to vie for it. Sen. Bernie Sanders’s (I-Vt.) influence is also expected to weigh heavily on who replaces Leahy, who is the longest-serving member of the Senate who is currently in office. Leahy’s retirement, coupled with that of Sen. Richard Shelby (R-Ala.), ranking member on the Senate Appropriations Committee, means that the top two spots on the panel’s leadership will turn over in 2023. Sens. Patty Murray (D-Wash.) and Susan Collins (R-Maine) are next in line to lead the committee on each side of the aisle. The Hill: Leahy retirement shakes up Vermont politics. Politico: Why governors keep snubbing the Senate. Alexander Bolton, The Hill: Midterm gloom grows for Democrats. 
© Associated Press/Mary Schwalm > U.S. and China: A much anticipated discussion virtually between Biden and President Xi Jinping of China on Monday resulted in no breakthroughs during three and a half hours, although the leaders of the world’s two largest economies pledged improved cooperation. Topics of conversation: human rights, Taiwan and trade, according to the White House, plus “strategic issues,” possibly related to nuclear programs but not publicly detailed. With Taiwan in mind, Xi warned Biden and the United States that a strategy of working with separate alliances or blocs against China would “inevitably bring disaster to the world.” Both men were accompanied by senior aides — Biden in the Roosevelt Room at the White House and the Chinese inside a chamber in the Great Hall of the People in Beijing. Biden was accompanied by Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, among other officials (The New York Times and The Washington Post). … China on Tuesday hailed the talks between the two countries as constructive and candid (The Associated Press). 
© Associated Press/Susan Walsh | 
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