Jeff Hart
Biden's congressional allies are mainly those he has forged a strong relationship with by 36 years of active service in politics.
Except for Utah Senator Mitt Romney, many Republicans in the US Congress have yet to call to congratulate Joe Biden's victory in the last election.
Senator Mitt Romney of Utah Photo: Reuters
The two faced off in the 2012 presidential race, but according to Romney, that did not stop Biden from speaking at one of his political conferences in 2017.
"We, with his wife, had about an hour of good conversation. He's a practical but charismatic person," commented Romney of Biden.
With 36 years in the Senate, Biden has more experience on Capitol Hill (US Congressional Court) than any other US president.
A key ally of Biden will be Delaware Democratic Senator Chris Coons.
Sen. Chris Coons speaks at a confirmation session for Supreme Court Judge Amy Coney Barrett candidate to the US Senate Judiciary Committee in October Photo: AFP.
Coons has long been considered a moderate, willing to work with Republicans.
With the president-elect, the Coons' value lies in helping Biden probe the views of groups of neutral senators who have a direct influence on presidential nominations,
Talking about Biden's close ally in Congress, Joe Manchin cannot be ignored.
"Manchin does not have a good relationship with anyone in the Obama administration except Joe Biden," said the anonymity of the Democratic aide in Congress.
West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin Photo: Reuters.
Biden served as an advisor to Manchin on a gun control bill back in 2013. At one point, Manchin asked Biden to stop the White House from publicly supporting the bill for fear it could kill Communist support.
"Biden kept the White House from showing approval or saying anything about it," the source said.
The bill was ultimately not passed by the Senate but it shows a willingness to work together between Biden and Manchin.
Manchin spent a lot of time in Congress trying to persuade colleagues to form bipartisan groups to deal with a variety of problems.
Representative James Clyburn of South Carolina Photo: Reuters.
Manchin could also help Biden build a bridge to connect with Trump's voters.
Perhaps no individual has played a more important role in the success of the Biden-elected president than Rep. James Clyburn.
This was the first step for Biden to win the Democratic nomination but Clyburn's contribution did not stop there.
As the highest-ranking black congressman in Congress and the third Democrat in the House of Representatives, Clyburn is in a strong position to continue to influence Biden both personnel and policy.
Speaker of the US House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi addressed the press at the National Assembly Building in Washington on November 3 Photo: Reuters
The veteran lawmaker has also drawn constructive criticism from outside the White House.
By maintaining an active partnership with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Biden is able to accelerate productivity through bills, experts say.
He and Pelosi had a long history of working together to handle important bills, first with the two years working together in Congress, then under the Obama administration, helping to pass the Health Care Act.
Pelosi also works with Biden to help ensure House Democrats support the Iran nuclear deal.
