It is generally assumed that McConnell will be every bit the obstructionist that he was in 2009 if the GOP wins one or both of the special elections in Georgia. Is that inevitable?
Not exactly, because the situations are somewhat different. In 2009, McConnell and the GOP had the luxury of irresponsibility, because the Democrats had an enormous majority in both houses. That will not be the case in 2021. Mitch will have to cooperate with the new administration and House Democrats to keep the lights on. He will also get some of the blame if things go wrong. Finally, two or three of his members are not completely reliable. He will consequently have to choose his battles with some care.
There is no likelihood of any significant expansion of the welfare state in the next two years if Mitch remains Majority Leader, as is likely, but don’t assume that it will be impossible to get anything at all done on issues like infrastructure. The picture is a little brighter than that.