Biden's reengineer-America moment

The Senate's bipartisan $1.2 trillion infrastructure bill and President Biden's $3.5 trillion spending package could live or die this week — and take Democrats' fortunes with them. But all the minute-by-minute political drama obscures how much America could change if even a fraction of it passes.

The big picture: Anything short of total failure could have a transformative impact on day-to-day life — from how we move around to our access to the internet, paid family leave and child care, health care and college.

To be sure, the massive price tag that comes with these programs would shift America toward more social welfare spending.

While Democrats insist it can be covered mostly by the wealthy and corporations, those sums have stirred fears of inflation, taxes and impeding economic growth.

Whether you like these proposals or hate them, even a slimmed-down package would likely be the most significant domestic legislation to pass Congress since the Affordable Care Act. And you know what Biden said about that.