The House is set for a historic down payment on Biden's legacy

At any other time, the imminent House passage of a gargantuan $1.9 trillion bill that addresses many of the foundational goals of a new presidency would be regarded as a smashing victory for a White House only six weeks into a first term.

Yet the extreme circumstances of a pandemic, an ex-President's impeachment trial and a partisan split over the contents of the legislation have so far tended to obscure the Covid relief plan's significance.

The bill, which the House of Representatives is expected to pass Friday with Democratic votes,...