Democrats could still salvage Build Back Better – and perhaps their midterm prospects

Best case scenario: a scaled down plan that saves popular programs and a billionaire tax to pay for it

Democrats were already facing a bleak landscape for this year's midterm elections, with Joe Biden's approval rating languishing in the low 40s and his party holding narrow majorities in both the House and the Senate.

Now, with Senator Joe Manchin's refusal to support the Build Back Better Act, the chances of Republicans regaining control of the House of Representatives, and possibly the Senate as well, appear higher than ever.