President Biden holds news conference to mark one year in office

President Biden was asked about comments from Senate Minority leader Mitch McConnell that the midterm elections are going to be a report card on Biden's progress on inflation, border security and standing up to Russia. 

"I think the report card is going to look pretty good," Biden responded.

Biden continued: "I actually like Mitch Mcconnell. We like one another but he has one straightforward objective. Make sure that there's nothing I do that makes me look good ... with the public at large." 

Biden said he's a "big boy" and he's "happy to debate and have a referendum on how I handled the economy" and whether he's made "progress." 

President Biden said that in order to get his Build Back Better agenda passed, he will have to “break it up” and get as much of it through as possible and “come back and fight for the rest later.” 

“It’s clear to me that we’re gonna have to probably break it up,” Biden acknowledged for the first time since the bill stalled to a halt in December.

Biden said it’s “clear” he would be able to get support on several issues in the bill, including the $500 billion dollars for energy and environmental issues.

Biden also said he knew that there are things in the bill that Sens. Joe Manchin and Kyrsten Sinema support, including early education and “strong support for the number in which to pay for this proposal.”

“Get as much as we can now,” Biden said.

President Biden predicted a Russian invasion of Ukraine on Wednesday, citing existential concerns by the country's President Vladimir Putin, even as he warned of significant economic consequences when such an incursion occurs. 

But he suggested a "minor incursion" would elicit a lesser response than a full-scale invasion of the country.

Biden's prediction of an invasion is the firmest acknowledgment to date the United States fully expects Putin to move after amassing 100,000 troops along the Ukraine border.

After speaking with Putin twice last month, Biden said he believed his Russian counterpart had a good understanding of the economic sanctions he was preparing to enact.

"He's never seen sanctions like the ones I promised will be imposed if he moves, number one," he said, adding the level of punishment would depend on what Russia's invasion looks like: "It's one thing if it's a minor incursion and we end up having to fight about what to do and not do, et cetera."

President Biden conceded Wednesday that he did not reach out to moderate Republicans in his pursuit of passing voting rights legislation.

Biden was asked specifically about Utah Republican Sen. Mitt Romney's recent remarks, slamming the White House for keeping Republicans out of discussions over election reform.

"The fact is that I do think that Mitt is a serious guy," Biden said. "I think we can get things done. I predict that we'll get something done on the electoral reform side of this."

He continued: "But rather judge what we'll get done and not get done, all I can say is I'll continue to make the case why it's so important to not turn electoral process over to political persons set up to change the outcome of elections."

President Biden acknowledged Americans are struggling with the high cost of living and threw his weight behind the Federal Reserve’s efforts to fight inflation 

“We need to get inflation under control,” Biden said during his opening remarks Wednesday. 

Biden pointed out that price stability is the responsibility of the Fed.

“The critical job of making sure elevated prices don’t become entrenched rests with the Federal Reserve, which has a dual mandate: full employment and stable prices,” Biden said. 

Biden noted that Americans are seeing rapid price increases at grocery stores, at the gas pumps and elsewhere.  

“Given the strength of our economy and pace of recent price increases, it’s appropriate…as Fed Chairman Powell has indicated, to recalibrate the support that is now necessary.”

Biden added that he respects the independence of the Fed.

Biden also detailed his administration’s efforts to fight inflation, including by unclogging supply chains and cracking down on unfair market competition. 

President Biden was asked during his news conference about schools closing around the country during the latest wave of Covid-19, driven by the Omicron variant. He said, "very few schools are closing." 

Biden then listed off a number of items that his administration has done to try to make sure that schools are safe. 

He said that there are billions of dollars being made available by the government for schools, including $10 billion for testing of students in the schools. 

"So I think, as time goes on, it's much more likely you'll see that number go back up from 95%, back up to 98%, 99%" of schools open, Biden said.

President Biden says he believes "big chunks" of his sweeping social and climate spending plan will be made into law — a tacit acknowledgement the entirety of his Build Back Better plan is unlikely to be approved in Congress.

"I'm confident we can get pieces, big chunks of the Build Back Better law signed into law," Biden said at a news conference at the White House.

He said items included in the bill, currently stalled amid united Republican opposition and key Democratic holdouts, were popular among the American people.

He cited lower costs on prescription drugs, expanded education funding and support for child care as popular provisions.

"I don't know many things that have been done in one fell swoop. And so I think the most important thing to do is try to inform, not educate, inform the public what's at stake in stark terms and let them make judgments and let them know who is for them and who is against them. Who is there and who is not there and make that the case. That's what I'm going to be spending my time doing in this off-year election," Biden said.

President Biden said that he doesn't plan on scaling back on the main priorities on his agenda despite facing challenges in passing the Build Back Better Act and stalled efforts on voting rights.

When pressed about what he can accomplish ahead of the midterm elections, Biden said that has confidence that his administration will be able to sign into law "good chunks" of his agenda.

"I'm confident we can get pieces, big chunks of the Build Back Better law signed into law and I'm confident that we can take the case to the American people that the people they should be voting for, who are going to oversee whether your elections are, in fact, legit or not should not be those who are being put up by the Republicans to determine that they're going to be able to change the outcome of the election... By the way, I haven't given up. We haven't finished the vote yet on what's going on, on the, on voting rights," Biden said.

President Biden has been asked multiple questions about the Democrats' push to advance voting rights legislation as the party faces an uphill battle to pass the bills in Congress.

Asked if he thinks the upcoming elections will be fairly conducted and legitimate if voting rights legislation doesn't pass, Biden said "it all depends on whether or not we're able to make a case to the American people that some of this is being set up to try to alter the outcome of the election."

Where things stand on voting rights in Congress: Senate Republicans are expected to once again block a voting bill put forward by Democrats in the latest partisan showdown over voting rights, an issue Democrats are seeking to spotlight despite the fact that they lack the votes to pass the legislation.

The Senate is on track to hold a vote this evening to attempt to break a GOP filibuster on the legislation, which combines key provisions of two bills: the Freedom to Vote Act and the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act.

At least 10 Republicans would need to vote with Democrats to clear the 60-vote threshold to break a filibuster, which is not expected to happen amid widespread Republican opposition to the voting legislation.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer has said that if Republicans block the bill, he will hold a vote to change Senate rules to allow for a "talking filibuster" on the voting legislation.

The proposed rules change would force lawmakers who want to filibuster the bill to come to the Senate floor and speak in opposition. Once those speeches come to an end, the Senate would be able to hold a simple majority vote for final passage.

A vote to change the rules has not yet been scheduled but could happen as soon as late Wednesday evening.

But Democrats do not have the votes to change Senate filibuster rules either with moderate Democratic Sens. Joe Manchin of West Virginia and Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona expected to oppose such a move.

Manchin has said he will not vote to eliminate or weaken the filibuster and Sinema has defended the 60-vote threshold. Both senators have argued the filibuster helps bring about bipartisan compromise in the Senate.

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