President Joe Biden demanded that every member of Congress vote for his agenda after celebrating the better-than-expected job gains in October reported Friday.
“I’m asking every House member, member of the House of Representatives, to vote yes on both these bills, right now,” Biden said. “Send the infrastructure bill to my desk. Send the Build Back Better bill to the Senate.”
The president tried to signal confidence after he has reportedly been making calls with House Democrats in an effort to rally support for his bills, as House Speaker Nancy Pelosi plans (for now) to hold a vote at the end of the day.
Biden argued that the boost in jobs growth was the result of his $1.9 trillion bill passed in March and demanded more support for his multitrillion-dollar agenda.
A man walks by a “Now Hiring” sign outside a store on August 16, 2021 in Arlington, Virginia. (Photo by OLIVIER DOULIERY/AFP via Getty Images)
The president argued that the economic recovery in the United States was “faster, stronger, fairer, and wider” than anyone could have expected.
“That’s what the numbers say, but we want to make sure that people continue to feel it in their lives, in their bank accounts, in their hopes and expectations,” Biden said.
The president said that passing his multitrillion-dollar Build Back Better bill and his $1.2 trillion infrastructure bill would help the economy continue to recover.
Biden said he would return to the Oval Office to lobby more Democrats on the phone to support his bills, as votes are expected to occur Friday afternoon.
“If your number one issue is the cost of living, the number one priority should be seeing Congress pass these bills,” he said.
