editorial

President Biden’s Agenda in Action

By Isabelle E. '21

Newly appointed President Joe Biden must confront some of the biggest challenges the United States has ever seen. He made many big promises during his campaign to alleviate the problems our nation faces involving the pandemic, racial inequality, and climate change, among others. But the question arises — has he lived up to those promises thus far? Arguably, Biden has hit the ground running. During his first few days in office, the President has already taken action to strengthen the nation’s COVID-19 response, to initiate a slew of environmental protections, to change current immigration policy, and to advance equity for all.

Fighting COVID-19 is a top priority for the Biden and Harris team who, on day one, launched their pandemic response plan by establishing a mask mandate on federal property. Since January 20th, Biden has signed an executive order to enforce COVID-19 safety in domestic and international travel, meaning mandated mask-wearing on all forms of public transportation. Additional orders have been issued to expand access to COVID-19 treatments, to establish the COVID-19 Health Equity Task Force, to address COVID-19 economic relief, and to support the reopening and operation of schools. These measures do not even represent the entirety of steps that Biden has taken. His administration continues to put new regulations into effect everyday in hopes that America can return to a bit of normalcy in the eventual future. 

Climate change is no doubt a concern for the Biden administration too, as calls for action have been echoed throughout the past few years. Joe Biden responded to these pleas by rejoining the Paris Climate agreement after Trump withdrew the U.S. from the treaty in 2017. Biden has also canceled the permit for the controversial Keystone XL Pipeline, in addition to approving several other executive orders advancing environmental justice. These moves are just the start of Biden’s climate and clean energy policy. He has aggressive goals to get the U.S. to completely clean energy and net-zero emissions within a span of 30 years. He will have to manage the demands of Republicans, environmental groups, and unions, but he is off to an encouraging start.

Biden’s opinions on the harsh immigration policies in the U.S. have been highlighted through his decision to end Trump’s ban on U.S. entry from seven majority Muslim countries. Undocumented immigrants will now be incorporated into the census, funds from Trump’s border wall have been pulled, and memorandom has strengthened the DACA program. Biden is evidently moving forward on his plans to reform the immigration system, pleasing many Democrats, but ignoring the wishes of Republicans who want tighter borders. This is a very different approach from past Presidents Bush and Obama who sought bipartisan support for immigration reform.

In response to the racial inequality that continues to plague the U.S., President Biden has ordered his government to conduct equity assessments of its agencies and to reallocate resources in order to focus on racial and other forms of equality. Biden has also established a commission on policing in response to the Black Lives Matter protests over the summer. In the coming months, Biden is expected to require the Justice Department to tackle civil rights abuses and to guarantee fairness within the judicial system. This action may be signed in conjunction with improvements in the prison system, which disproportionately impacts minorities, and a requirement for the Department of Housing and Urban Development to promote equitable housing policies. Biden must tread lightly, as his ability to secure funding for racial reform depends on his ability to mediate the divide between the parties.

These actions demonstrate President Joe Biden’s commitment to improving the lives of all Americans. In his first few days in office, he has addressed some of the most urgent issues in the United States. The 74 million Americans who voted for Trump are most likely upset by Biden’s executive actions, especially since many are reversing several Trump-era policies, including the transgender military ban. Biden’s policies are certainly more progressive than what we have seen in the last four years, and they are designed to ensure a better, safer America during a time of newness and upheaval. 

Biden signed 30 executive orders in his first three days in office. There are still a definite four years remaining to see what President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris will accomplish. All eyes are on them as they lead the United States into an unknown future.