Biden’s First Term
“What have the Democrats accomplished, really?” You can feel secure in responding, A LOT!
Here’s some of the highlights of what the Dems have done in the last year and a half.
Economy
- Unemployment rate down to 3.9 percent, lowest rate since 1969
- 8.3 million jobs created
- Wages paid by private businesses saw an increase of 2.4 percent from Jan to Oct last year and disposable income rose by 3 percent
- Buy American Order – encouraging the purchase of American-made products
- Moratorium on student loans which deeply affects the lowest income Americans
- Revamped the PSLF (Public Service Loan Forgiveness) which encourages people to work in lower-paying public sector jobs
- Release of strategic oil reserves to keep oil prices down; now trying to make nice with Saudi Arabia to increase oil production (not my favorite thing he’s doing for sure but it will help the economy – I would prefer if we pivot to renewables instead of continuing with fossil fuels)
- Deficit reduced by $350 billion (with projections of another $500 billion to 1 trillion in further reductions by end of September)
- Inflation reduction act passed – creates millions of clean energy jobs, reduces deficit spending, makes corporations pay more of their fair share of taxes.
Pandemic
- Rejoined World Health Organization
- 1.9 trillion COVID relief, including $20 billion for the vaccination program and $350 billion into local relief efforts – legislation also tackled child poverty and nutritional issues
- Free COVID tests
- Requiring federal employees including military to get vaccinated
- Getting 72 percent of adult Americans fully vaccinated
- Running PSA campaigns around vaccination
Climate
- Re-entered Paris Climate Accord
- Agreement to reverse deforestation and pledge to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by at least 30 percent by 2030
- Ordered all government agencies to halt the financing of new international carbon-intensive fossil fuel projects and work towards clean energy use
- Zero-emission vehicles mandated for the federal fleet (will create 1 million new jobs for Americans)
- 550,000 charging stations to be built for EV vehicles
- Large-scale offshore wind projects
- Inflation reduction act makes largest investment in clean energy ever in history and creates millions of clean-energy jobs; incentives for individuals and businesses to create/purchase clean energy vehicles and appliances
Infrastructure
- Passed bipartisan 1.2 trillion infrastructure package – including expanding internet to those who don’t have it, clean energy, and safe drinking water
- Eased supply chain issues
- Working with Taiwan to increase microchip supplies
Human Life
- Passed the gun safety act
- Passed Hate Crimes Act
- Halted federal executions (which DT had reinstated after it had been paused for 17 years) – doesn’t affect states though
- Diversity in his cabinet and in the WH staff
- Overturned previous administration’s ban on openly trans members of the military
- Increased children’s access to free lunches
- Lowest child poverty rate ever
- Food insecurity in American households dropped 32 percent
- Inflation Reduction Act lowers costs on prescription drug prices for seniors and lowers health insurance costs for lower income Americans
- Health care and benefits for millions of veterans exposed to toxic burn pits
Judicial
- Appointed 41 federal judges (73 nominated) – 80 percent are women and 53 percent are people of color – this is often where Supreme Court Justices come from (highest appointment rate since Reagan)
Foreign Policy
- Strengthening the QUAD (US, India, Australia, Japan)
- Anticipated war in Ukraine, warned Russia, and got 30 countries to work together to oppose Russian aggression
- Support of Ukraine without getting us into WWIII & world sanctions on Russia
- Strengthening of NATO
- End of 20-year war in Afghanistan
- Executed Al Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri
Sources:
https://www.newsweek.com/joe-biden-biggest-achievements-first-year-president-1670763
https://www.upi.com/Top_News/US/2022/01/20/joe-biden-first-year-inauguration/9201642654129/
https://www.foxnews.com/opinion/good-things-biden-leslie-marshall
https://www.cnn.com/2022/08/01/politics/joe-biden-counter-terrorism/index.html
https://www.cnn.com/2022/07/13/politics/burn-pit-legislation-congress/index.html
MoveOn Political Action email – “Dems just delivered huge climate & health care wins”