Biden's muscle questioned amid falling polls

President Biden’s sagging approval ratings, especially among independents, are raising questions about his ability to move his agenda through a House and Senate where centrist and liberal Democrats are battling one another.

Democrats aren’t running away from the president, but the approval rating hit could make it tougher for Biden to muscle moderates such as Sens. Kyrsten Sinema (Ariz.) and Joe Manchin (W.Va.) who are balking at the $3.5 trillion cost of his budget reconciliation measure.

Some Democrats note that Biden’s approval rating at this point in his presidency is still significantly higher than former President Trump’s was in August of his first year in office. A GOP House and Senate later in 2017 still managed to pass Trump’s signature tax-cut bill.

But Republicans say Trump had much more intense support from his party’s base, which helped him move Republican votes in Congress.