In the Democratic Senate, the path to making law still goes through Mitch McConnell

In short, there is no easy route to pick off the necessary 10 Republicans without him.That carries warnings for President Joe Biden's agenda, whether it's infrastructure or overhauling voting laws, as McConnell mobilizes to stymie his biggest ambitions.Sen. Kevin Cramer, R-N.D., said that Republicans elected McConnell as caucus leader "because we trust his judgment" and that he sometimes asks senators to vote with him."He will occasionally say, 'For these reasons, I'm here, and I'm hoping that most of you could be with me.' So he'll reference that, but it's not that often," Cramer said. "I don't foresee us bringing a bill to the floor that isn't opposed by some parts of the gun lobby, and if that's the case, then Sen. McConnell obviously could push against it."Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., calls it the "McConnell veto." Progressive activists say it proves the need to eliminate the 60-vote hurdle, which Democrats don't have the 50 votes to do.Eli Zupnick, a former Democratic leadership aide and spokesman for a coalition working to end the filibuster, said: "Sen. McConnell's highest priority is blocking President Biden's agenda, and the filibuster is the weapon he wields to do that, so why would Senate Democrats continue giving him veto power over promises they made to the voters who put them in power?"McConnell, who is frequently called an "obstructionist" by Democrats, wears the label as a badge of honor, having dubbed himself the "grim reaper" of progressive legislation in 2019.Centrist Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., said during the Jan. 6 commission debate that "Mitch McConnell makes it extremely difficult" to get things done on a bipartisan basis in the Senate.