Report: Democrat Tensions ‘Intensifying’ as Biden White House Courts the Far-Left

Tensions among congressional Democrats are reportedly “intensifying” as the Biden White House courts the far-left wing of the party and moderate members sit on the sidelines, concerned that they will be expected to “all just line up” with the radical agenda.

This month, White House Chief of Staff Ron Klain met with leaders of the Congressional Progressive Caucus (CPC), who urged the Biden administration to incorporate a number of far-left agenda items, including climate change, health care, and “family infrastructure” into his jobs plan. CPC Chair Pramila Jayapal (D-WA), who attended the meeting alongside Reps. Ilhan Omar (D-MN), Cori Bush (D-MO), Mark Pocan (D-WI), and Barbara Lee (D-CA), told Politico Playbook that they had a “very good discussion” about how the “Build Back Better” plan could redistribute wealth. They also pressed the Biden White House to commit to implementing a $15 minimum wage, floating the possibility of nixing the filibuster to make it a reality.

Klain has also met with far-left “Squad” member Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) and Rep. Jamaal Bowman (D-NY), the former of whom has a history of clashing with more moderate members of her caucus. The progressives discussed “the filibuster, minimum wage, and other issues,” according to Axios.

The White House’s consistent outreach to the far-left members is triggering concerns among more moderate members of the caucus, as Politico Playbook detailed on Tuesday.

“They say the White House seems to be taking them for granted as the administration works overtime to appease the left,” Tuesday’s Playbook read, quoting one unnamed Democrat lawmaker who said people were “definitely sore that they invited over some of the lefties.”

“The working assumption of the White House, this person added, is ‘that we’ll all just line up,” Politico added, noting that the jockeying is heating up ahead of the unveiling of Biden’s infrastructure package, as left-wing lawmakers seek to have their agenda items included:

Moderates also fear that Klain’s tango with House progressives will only embolden the left flank of the caucus. Ways and Means Chair RICHARD NEAL (D-Mass.) and Oversight and Reform Chair CAROLYN MALONEY (D-N.Y.) both staved off primary challenges from the left last year.

Several House committee chairs did meet with Biden at the White House at the start of his term, but they have not had a sitdown with Klain, who is immersed in the details of — and holds significant sway over — the president’s agenda.

Politico quoted one House Democrat, who said people were “shocked that Ron Klain was going to see certain [progressive] members but not members of the committees that they need to get their agenda passed.”

Many conservative leaders warned during the presidential election that Biden, who attempted to present himself as a moderate, would actually serve as a Trojan horse for the radical left.

“Joe Biden is an empty vessel. He’s a Trojan Horse candidate that the extreme left will use to fill and advance their radical agenda,” former President Trump’s re-election campaign Communications Director Tim Murtaugh told SiriusXM’s Breitbart News Saturday last summer.

Former Vice President Mike Pence arrived to a similar conclusion on the campaign trail last fall:

I mean, when you look at their agenda, the agenda that Joe Biden and Kamala Harris want to bring to the White House — higher taxes, open borders, socialized medicine, a Green New Deal, abortion on demand, defunding the police, packing the courts — it is clear. Joe Biden may be nothing more than it Trojan Horse for the radical left. He would take our country somewhere we have never been before.

President Biden is expected to unveil part of his massive, multi-trillion-dollar “Build Back Better” infrastructure proposal on Wednesday.