Biden leaves Capitol Hill, saying 'it doesn't matter' when economic bill is passed

President Joe Biden told reporters on Friday he is in no hurry to pass his economic agenda, following a Capitol Hill meeting with the House Democratic Caucus.

“We’re gonna get this done,” Biden said as he left the Capitol building. "It doesn’t matter when. It doesn’t matter whether it’s six minutes, six days or six weeks. We’re gonna get it done."

According to The Hill, Biden spoke for over 30 minutes during the caucus meeting, marking his second trip to Capitol Hill to push his legislative agenda.

The president’s visit comes amid criticism from fellow Democrats that he isn’t doing enough to prevent progressives from derailing his agenda in the House.

White House officials said Biden’s trip wasn’t meant for him to lay out a path forward for the infrastructure bill, or to get compromises from the progressive wing of the party. Rather, it was an attempt to shore up support within the caucus ahead of a potential reconciliation vote.

Centrist Democrat Rep. Henry Cuellar of Texas told The Hill that Biden was attempting to be a mediator between the progressive and centrist wings of the party. Meanwhile, the president seemed to double down on his efforts to ensure the social spending package was linked to the bipartisan infrastructure bill. 

"So we are trying to pass this bill, but we heard the president of the United States say that he wants to link both of them together," Cuellar said.

"I think what he was trying to do [was] he was trying to tell progressives: Lower your expectations. And he was telling the moderates: They've got to be put together," Cuellar continued.

Despite the president’s assurances, some Democratic members left the meeting disappointed by the lack of expediency exhibited by Biden.