How election results will affect the Biden administration’s agenda

Judy Woodruff:

President Biden has spent a day at the White House with his advisers closely monitoring the election turnout.

Laura Barrón-López is at the White House. And she joins us now to talk about how this election could affect the Biden administration.

So, Laura, first of all, who has been out on the trail for — representing the Democrats, and what has the final messaging been?

Laura Barrón-López:

Well, President Biden has been out on the trail in recent weeks, although a lot of those stops have been fund-raisers, Judy, not as much traditional rally stops for the president.

But he has been making the rounds. And the three big arguments that he's been making are around economy, abortion and democracy. Also out on the trail is former President Barack Obama, and as well as Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, and a number of Democratic senators like Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren in more independent formats, but, again, as well as, actually, Vice President Kamala Harris.

She's been a bit more — less high-profile in terms of her campaign stops, but a lot of Democrats have welcomed her as they have been trying to stave off big losses in the House and the Senate.

One thing about President Biden's final message is that the White House has been arguing that they weren't just focusing on democracy and abortion. I was talking to a White House aide today who said that they really have been hammering the economy as much as possible since earlier this year, and what the president has tried to do, although albeit limited, to address people's cost of living and the issues that they have been having due to inflation.

But if you stack all those speeches up, even though there were prominent speeches on abortion and democracy, the president arguably gave more on the economy and different actions he's tried to address to take on the economy.

Judy Woodruff:

And, in just a few seconds, Laura, I know you have been talking to White House folks. What are they saying that they worry about how their agenda might have to change if Republicans do well tonight?

Laura Barrón-López:

The biggest thing is that, if Democrats lose the House, but keep the Senate, then it would enable the president to at least get judicial nominees through and have a bit of a firewall.

But if both chambers fall, then the president has acknowledged that would make his life — quote — "very difficult" and that he has been paying attention to the fact that some Republicans have looked to impeach him, have looked to launch investigations into his son Hunter Biden, as well as if his Afghanistan withdrawal.

And so the White House has since early summer been preparing for that possibility of an increase in investigations.

Judy Woodruff:

All right, Laura Barrón-López, who is going to be with us all tonight at the White House.

Thank you, Laura.

Laura Barrón-López:

Thank you.