Watching with particular interest are groups that defend entitlement programs.
The polarisation of American politics has left Democrats more set on defending entitlements and Republicans determined to hold down taxes.
Even as some lawmakers spoke of compromise, Senate Democrats gathered on Thursday with Andrew Kohut, president of the Pew Research Center for the People and the Press, to look over polling on their political strength defending entitlements like Medicare and Social Security.
In the PCCC's e-mail to members, Carrie Biggs-Adams noted Edwards's record of defending entitlements and criticizing the landmark Citizens United decision by the Supreme Court, which ruled that certain limits on campaign contributions were unconstitutional.
Coming out against free trade and open borders, defending entitlements, attacking veterans, cozying up to foreign autocrats, indulging in openly racist and xenophobic rhetoric: none of these things have hurt Trump with the vast majority of Republican voters and politicians.
And he is alienating the brighter elements in his Party.New Democrats such as Bob Kerry, the senator for Nebraska, and Will Marshall, the head of the Progressive Policy Institute, worry that Mr Gore's liberal fundamentalism will condemn their party to defending entitlement programmes (particularly for the old) that eat up an ever greater share of federal spending.
Despite the slim chances for repeal, Conyers and other boosters for the idea are hoping to find allies among organized labor and other progressive factions defending entitlement programs, and perhaps even some staunch backers of defense spending on the other side of the aisle.
Besides, although Americans say they hate big government, they are also quick to defend their "entitlements".
In a discussion about Medicare health coverage for pensioners, Mr Biden looked directly into the camera and asked watching retirees to trust their instincts, and ask themselves which party was more likely to defend Medicare entitlements.
