The President and the Bully Pulpit: Biden’s Latest Speech Pushed Infrastructure

While American cars fall into potholes big enough to swallow the state of Rhode Island, families from Texas to California sit huddled together waiting for electricity from dead or overstrained power grids to be restored, and safe drinking water is hauled to school children in Michigan, Congress continues to argue about whether the United States even needs an infrastructure bill.

So, President Joe Biden’s White House speech yesterday reached out to the public about the infrastructure bill. The bill is slowly advancing through Congress. Since Congress hasn’t gotten much done yet, Biden used his prestige and ability to command attention and sell his proposal to the public.

Why the public push? The United States Constitution, Article II, sharply limits the President’s power. Article I gives most government power to Congress. The President’s biggest power is that he can command public attention. Theodore Roosevelt called this the “bully pulpit.” Starting with William McKinley, presidents have spoken directly to the public, bypassing Congress, to persuade the people. Wanting to get reelected, members of Congress often respond to public opinion.


First, an excuse to give a speech

Biden boasted about a minor accomplishment, which is that the infrastructure bill would probably pass a procedural vote the next day. That gave Biden an excuse to give a speech:

“Yesterday, the United States Senate took the additional step toward passing the bipartisan infrastructure bill. It’s a bill that would end years of gridlock in Washington, and create millions of good-paying jobs, and put America on a new path to win the race for the economy in the 21st century.”

Packed in that simple introduction, Biden told us that the bill had some Republican support, that passing it would end gridlock and show that Washington can work. He also emphasized that it would bring economic benefits.


Second, informing the public

Biden’s next step was to list the bill’s basic provisions:

“A historic investment in roads and rail, in transit and bridges, in clean energy and clean water. It will enable us to not only build back, but build back better than before the economic crisis hit.”

That sounds simple, but it’s important. The news media have done a terrible job of telling the public what the bill contains. They have been reporting the congressional deliberations like a NASCAR race, focusing only on which side seems to be ahead at the moment. The public, however, needs information. Biden didn’t give details, but he pointed out that the bill covers transportation, energy, and water. The public usually likes things like that.


Third, reaching out to his adversaries

Biden next praised his opponents in Congress. Presumably demonstrating that gridlock was being overcome, Biden took time to “thank the bipartisan group of senators.” He praised them for their efforts. Interestingly, he also thanked them “for raising their ideas and concerns with me and Vice President Harris and members of our cabinet.” That was a tactful way to put a positive spin on the internal debates. I can only imagine how heated those “ideas and concerns” must have been. In any case, he stressed unity, not division. 


Fourth, appealing to conservatives and liberals

To overcome those “ideas and concerns,” Biden sought to appeal to a wide range of attitudes. Conservatives and liberals both need to support the bill. Accordingly, Biden looked toward the past and future alike:

“As we did with the Transcontinental Railroad and the Interstate Highway System, we’ll soon, once again, transform America and propel us into the future.”

The transcontinental railroad and the interstate highways were major infrastructure programs of the past. Anyone who remembers high school history knows how they transformed the United States.  Mentioning them reminded conservatives that the United States has a long history of infrastructure spending. Saying that the bill would “transform America and propel us into the future” would appeal to more liberal voters.

Biden then rambled off to talk about other issues, including economic growth and the coronavirus.

Reaching out to the public

The four points that Biden made about the infrastructure bill were simple and straightforward. He employed no flights of fancy language. His goal was to show that he was pushing the bill while working together with Congress.

During the coronavirus epidemic, President Biden is giving few speeches on the road. That doesn’t matter as much as one might think. The magic of broadcasting and the Internet can carry his message across the land. Many cable networks and Internet sites broadcast his speech live. It even popped up on Internet-connected televisions. In a combined effort, Biden's Secretary of Transportation also gave a major infrastructure speech the same day, although he obviously commands less attention than the President. 

Also, the news media reported Biden's speech. For example, Lisa Mascaro of the Associated Press noted yesterday that “The president’s note of encouragement offers a reset for lawmakers after frustrations mounted and tempers flared overnight as the Senate stalled out, unable to expedite the package to completion.” Similarly, reaching a more conservative audience, Fox Business reported that “President Biden touted the bipartisan infrastructure deal and job growth in a speech Friday following the release of a robust July jobs report, while also renewing the push for Americans to get vaccinated against COVID-19.” Since most people get political information secondhand – this has been true for centuries – news reports like those gave Biden a secondary audience for his speech. That’s the bully pulpit at work.

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Earlier: Trump's 2018 Calm, Rational Infrastructure Meeting

Earlier: George W. Bush and the American Vision

Earlier: Biden's Delta Variant Speech

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Conclusion

The president is not a dictator. The Constitution limits Biden's power. The Constitution does not, however, limit the people’s power. If Biden can persuade the people, members of Congress will fall into place like the sheep they are. One speech, of course, will not be enough, William McKinley gave dozens of speeches about the ratification of the 1899 Treaty of Paris. Let us keep our ears open: is Biden going to push infrastructure with the vigor it will require? So far, it looks as if he will. By reaching out to the public in speeches like this, Biden is on the right track. If he continues to push his agenda to the public, the infrastructure bill might struggle its way through Congress.

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P.S.: When I was a young man, infrastructure bills passed automatically. Hordes of lobbyists used to descend on Congress to hawk highway projects, public waterways, public drinking water and waste disposal, and so forth. More recently, unfortunately, hardened antigovernment attitudes have made it difficult for Congress to pass urgently-needed legislation. Thus, the need for Biden's speech. 

P.P.S. Biden wore a tan suit during his presentation. Maybe that was because of the hot Washington summer. Or was he mocking conservatives who once made fun of Barack Obama’s tan suit? Nonverbal communication, including clothing, makes a difference.

P.P.P.S. Although most media outlets have done a terrible job of reporting about the infrastructure legislation, the liberal website Vox gives a nice rundown of the bill’s major provisions.

Research note: In his book The Rhetorical Presidency Jeffrey Tulis explains how presidents back to Theodore Roosevelt bypassed Congress to speak directly to the public. Professor Melvin Laracey shows that presidents as far back as Abraham Lincoln found ways to reach out to the public about legislation.

For my own writings about President William McKinley’s innovative speaking career, click on William D. Harpine’s publications above.

Image: White House YouTube channel