Biden seeks working-class support for foreign policy: The Note

Biden will be hard-pressed to deliver on some goals he pushed the G-7 leaders on

By
Rick Klein
,
Averi Harper
 and
Alisa Wiersema
June 14, 2021, 6:02 AM ET
6 min read

The TAKE with Rick Klein

The "democratic alternative" to Chinese influence now needs democracy to be able to do its part.

With the friendlier parts of President Joe Biden's first foreign trip wrapping up, the "foreign policy for the working class" being developed by the White House needs domestic buy-in. That matters for Biden's legislative agenda and for U.S. efforts abroad, with confrontations on the horizon with Russia and China.

The chumminess among world leaders has been pleasant enough, but in the current political environment, Biden will be hard-pressed to deliver on some of the major goals he pushed the G-7 leaders to agree to.

Corporate tax rates, addressing climate change, investing in infrastructure -- those are at the heart of a Biden agenda that could be at a tipping point. Biden will face some key decisions upon his return from overseas, though some decisions could be made for him already.

The latest ABC News/Ipsos poll shows how closely foreign and domestic policies are linked. Choosing among an array of foreign-policy goals, about as many people, 95%, prioritize protecting American jobs in dealing with other nations as place a priority on guarding against terrorist attacks, 94%, or stopping the spread of infectious diseases 95%.

The poll shows strong support for countering climate change, 81%, and protecting human rights abroad, 82%, but not quite at the same level.

Biden's current trip is likely to be judged by how it ends -- the summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin is still looming. Putin, of course, doesn't have the same concerns about domestic politics.

The RUNDOWN with Averi Harper

While Sen. Joe Manchin's opposition continues to stall sweeping voting reform outlined in the For the People Act, distinct camps within the Democrats' self-proclaimed "big tent" have emerged.

One includes those who have avoided criticizing Manchin publicly, like party leadership in both chambers and Democratic senators more broadly. Both are keenly aware of Manchin's importance to getting any number of legislative priorities passed.

"I don't give up on Joe Manchin," said House Speaker Nancy Pelosi Sunday, signaling her confidence that terms could be met to get the moderate senator on board.

The other is comprised of progressives, mainly in the House, who have taken aim at the West Virginia Democrat.

"The things that he cites like this, I think, romanticism of bipartisanship is about an era of Republicans that simply do not exist anymore," said Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., Sunday.

While Manchin holds out for bipartisan agreement in the dysfunctional Senate, he seems to be setting the stage for a fight within his own party about how to get things done in a deeply partisan climate.

The TIP with Alisa Wiersema

As Biden hits reset on the global stage, at home, he's on the receiving end of a renewed round of criticism for his administration's handling of the southern border.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott -- a possible 2024 Republican hopeful -- recently announced his state would heighten measures "to fix the border-crisis problem," including increased migrant arrests and the construction of a "border wall."

On Thursday, Abbott said he would announce plans for the state to begin building the border wall this week but did not provide more details. It remains unclear how the wall would be funded, as well as whether the governor has the legal authority to sanction its construction.

The day after Abbott's announcement, the Biden administration announced plans to return about $2 billion in unspent military construction funds seized by the Trump administration for a wall on the southern border. As reported by ABC News' Benjamin Siegel on the campaign trail, Biden vowed to build "not another foot" of wall on the border, but the administration said Congress gave the Department of Homeland Security "some funding for border barrier projects."

ONE MORE THING

In the midst of his first foreign trip since taking office, a new ABC News/Ipsos poll finds a majority of the American public has a great deal or good amount of trust in President Joe Biden to negotiate on the country's behalf with other world leaders.

THE PLAYLIST

ABC News' "Start Here" podcast. Monday morning’s episode features ABC News’ Jordana Miller in Israel, where Benjamin Netanyahu is no longer prime minister after a new government was voted into power last night. ABC News Chief White House correspondent Cecilia Vega tells us how President Biden was received abroad by G7 leaders. And ABC News Senior Editorial producer John Santucci explains why President Trump’s Department of Justice reportedly seized phone data from two top congressional Democrats. http://apple.co/2HPocUL

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW TODAY

  • President Joe Biden will meet with the prime minister of the Republic of Estonia, the president of the Republic of Latvia and the president of the Republic of Lithuania at 12:35 p.m. Monday at the NATO headquarters in Brussels. At 1:15 p.m. Biden meets with Jens Stoltenberg, Secretary General of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. At 1:30 p.m., the president participates in the NATO Summit. At 5 p.m. Biden holds at meeting with Turkey President Tayyip Erdoğan. At 6 p.m., Biden will hold a press conference.
  • Former White House senior adviser for COVID response Andy Slavitt appears on ABC's "The View."
  • The House Rules Committee holds a hearing at 1 p.m. to consider H.R. 256, a bill to repeal the authorization for use of military force against Iraq resolution of 2002.

    • Download the ABC News app and select "The Note" as an item of interest to receive the day's sharpest political analysis.

    The Note is a daily ABC News feature that highlights the key political moments of the day ahead. Please check back tomorrow for the latest.