Obama told Democrats not to whine about setbacks, report says, as key parts of Biden's domestic agenda stall
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- Barack Obama held a Zoom call with House Democrats, Punchbowl reported.
- It "doesn't help to whine about the stuff you can't change," Obama told them.
- His remarks come with party morale low after legislative setbacks.
Former President Barack Obama told Democrats not to complain about legislative setbacks, but to focus on their successes in a conference call with party House lawmakers Thursday, the Punchbowl newsletter reported.
According to the report, Obama held a Zoom meeting with House Democrats Thursday as they gathered for a retreat to discuss revamping their messaging, amid a stalled legislative agenda and poor poll ratings.
The 44th president implored Democrats to "take the wins you can get" and told them that it "doesn't help to whine about the stuff you can't change," Punchbowl reported.
"Democrats have a tendency to complain about what we didn't get done rather than talking about what we did get done," Obama added on the call.
Obama's exhortation comes with Democratic morale low following the failure of the party to pass President Joe Biden's signature Build Back Better (BBB) bill, a sweeping social care and climate change program.
Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images
Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia has blocked the BBB bill over concerns it could further spike inflation, with Democrats needing all 50 of their senators on board in order to pass the package. The party has been riven by infighting, with progressives turning on Manchin for not backing the bill.
Republicans are expected to make gains in the midterms, as they hammer the Biden administration on its failings.
Obama in the call reportedly discussed legislative setbacks during his own administration, including being forced to withdraw the public option from his 2010 Affordable Care Act when it became clear there weren't enough votes to pass it.
"If we can get some stuff done, some major domestic initiative, some progress on climate … there will come a point where you decide if you are getting nothing or getting that," Obama said.
Democrats are currently discussing whether to break up the Build Back Better package and pass smaller parts of it, including some of the social care elements which may be able to win Manchin's backing.