SNL Spoofs Dems' Squabbling Over Infrastructure Bill, Debuts New Hire Impersonating Joe Biden

American late-night live television sketch comedy and variety show Saturday Night Live returned after a short break for its 47th Season on the weekend to poke fun at Virginia's tight gubernatorial race, the bickering inside the Democratic Party over the bipartisan Infrastructure Bill, and a new cast-member’s home-hitting impersonation of Joe Biden.

Saturday Night Live opened its Season 47 over the weekend with a new cast-member offering his parody of US President Joe Biden.

And now, a message from the President of the United States. #SNLPremiere pic.twitter.com/PaZvnXLX6f

— Saturday Night Live - SNL (@nbcsnl) October 3, 2021

Johnson, known for online viral impressions of ex-President Donald Trump, appeared as Biden in the cold open with the Democrat looking back upon his summer as “bad — not Cuomo bad, but definitely not Afghanistan good”.

Biden is then shown desperately trying to get the Democrats to compromise on his $1.2 trillion infrastructure bill. Two Democratic “moderates” that had opposed the Biden administration's proposed "Build Back Better" bill are then introduced, with Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (D-Ariz.) played by Cecily Strong, and Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) played by Aidy Bryant.

Cecily Strong as Senator Sinema is perfection! 😂#SNL #SNLPremiere #snl47 pic.twitter.com/Ry5Cz78sGB

— Cathleen Healy (@cmhconsulting) October 3, 2021

Strong's Sinema says: "I didn't come to Congress to make friends and so far, mission accomplished".

As they are joined by Reps. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.), played by Ego Nwodim, and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.), played by Melissa Villaseñor, Joe Biden flounders in a bid to negotiate a compromise between the moderate and progressive wings of the Democratic Party.

“I wore a dress that said, 'Tax the rich’ and then spent all night partying with the rich,” says the stand-up comedian parodying Ocasio-Cortez.

When Biden asks Sinema what she likes, she replies, "Yellow starbursts, the film 'The Polar Express' and when someone eats fish on an airplane."

Your Weekend Update! pic.twitter.com/Cqzhko3cDl

— Saturday Night Live - SNL (@nbcsnl) November 7, 2021

The infrastructure bill became central to the during the “Weekend Update” fake news segment of the show.

The passing of the bill on Friday “should be enough to clean as many as two of LaGuardia’s toilets", joked Weekend Update co-anchor Colin Jost.

Referring to the Dems’ pledges that the package would expand internet access across the country, Jost quipped against a backdrop oft January’s US Capitol riot: “Which is great news because when has internet ever been bad for America?"

On the Victoria gubernatorial race, won last week by Republican Glenn Youngkin who ran against Democrat Terry McAuliffe, co-anchor Micheal Che pointed to a photo of a statue of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee and noted:

"But on the bright side, losers from Virginia usually get a statue."

James Austin Johnson followed up his debut impression of Biden with a portrayal of ex-POTUS Donald Trump in the cold open, congratulating Glenn Youngkin “and mostly myself” on victory in Virginia.

"It’s great to be frankly winning again. How we love to win – And you know what? You’re going to see a lot more winning where that came from. Let me tell you, you’re going to see it a lot," Johnson, as Trump, told Youngkin, played by cast member Alex Moffatt.

On Twitter, users were split in their reactions to the show, with some finding it “hilarious”. “So funny. America provides such good material for the writers."

So funny. America provides such good material for the writers.

— Marcia Demma (@madnola218) November 7, 2021

Hilarious! Finally comedians going back to making fun of ridiculous things regardless of political affiliation. Bout time SNL.

— Nef Jones (@snipesighted) October 3, 2021

This is gold. Also: the right never make fun of themselves. Ever.

— kmnla (@nmaureennm222g2) October 3, 2021

Others on social media were less than enthusiastic.

SNL has become dry and to politically correct.. just like everything else. What happened to the good ole days of controversy and pushing the limits

— Tyler Young (@TylerYo60782350) November 7, 2021

Damn ….. the original cast must be rolling in their graves . It’s like watching a 3rd grade minstrel show

— Corps vet 0311 (@0311_vet) October 3, 2021

The real Joe Biden is literally more of a parody than this

— G (@GollyRojer) October 3, 2021