He was just playing at democracy theater, but I suspect that was just too stupid to realize it. He was the VP when the republican party took the country hostage by shutting down the government to prolong the Bush recession and pin it on Obama, and learned absolutely nothing from that.
That showed that the republican party has no interest in governing and isn't negotiating anything in good faith, yet the democraps act surprised when the repubs killed the BBB bill and the border bill... "They're not negotiating in good faith!" Either they're as stupid as red-hats or they're
willingly participating in democracy theater at the country's expense. Most likely both, since when the dems have the majority they get nothing done because of the filibuster yet when they have the minority the repugnants get whatever they want done.