Biden's Successess

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.nbcnews.com/politics/meet-the-press/biden-2021-was-year-big-accomplishments-big-disappointments-n1286092

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”