WASHINGTON—Within 24 hours of emerging from his Covid-19 isolation, President Biden got a reminder of the biggest obstacle facing Democrats heading into the midterm elections—fears of an economic recession—along with a potential life raft in the form of a reconciliation deal in the Senate.
Back in the West Wing Wednesday afternoon after his illness, Mr. Biden, wearing a black face mask, joined with Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo and top aides in his dining room off the Oval Office to watch as the Senate passed a $280 billion package to promote the production of semiconductors in the U.S., one of his top priorities. He spoke by phone with Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D., N.Y.) and Sen. Joe Manchin (D., W.Va.) about a surprise reconciliation deal—which has proved elusive throughout his presidency—on climate change, healthcare costs and deficit reduction. The new bill, in case Democrats’ message was unclear, is named the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022.
