Biden cancels Chicago tour amid political stretch in Washington DC: Report

United States President Joe Biden will call off his travel plans to Chicago due to the crucial negotiations in Washington over his legislative agenda, according to US media reports citing White House sources.

The information comes after President Biden conducted meetings with Senate lawmakers Joe Manchin (West Virginia) and Kyrsten Sinema (Arizona) with an aim to get them aboard his $3.5 trillion budget reconciliation bill and infrastructure deal, according to reports from CNN.

The White House source said, “In meetings and calls over the weekend and through today, President Biden has been engaging with members of Congress on the path forward for the Build Back Better Act and the Bipartisan Infrastructure Deal“, according to reporters from CNN.

The White House official added, “He will now remain at the White House tomorrow to continue working on advancing these two pieces of legislation to create jobs, grow the economy, and make investments in families, rather than failed giveaways to the rich and big corporations.”

Biden’s trip to Illinois’ Chicago, which was scheduled for Wednesday, will be rescheduled. The Presidential trip was to push COVID-19 vaccines and highlight their effectiveness in combatting the virus.

Biden’s meetings on Tuesday were conducted behind closed doors with senior lawmakers. He was also reportedly in constant contact with House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate majority leader Chuck Schumer.

CNN’s White House source added, “There will be more to come on his engagement over the next couple of days, and the trip to Chicago to discuss the ongoing importance of getting people vaccinated will be rescheduled.”

Another key event in Washington’s politics is also fast approaching. If the United States Congress fails to reach a consensus on the debt ceiling of the country and pass the relevant legislation to fund the government, a shutdown is likely.