the good, the bad, and the ugly of Joe Biden's first month of presidency
By Alima Shoranova
Joe Biden has been the President of the United States for 5 weeks now, and he's made many promises to get to where he is today. Take a look at how the promises panned out.
COVID-19
Returning to what we used to call normal was a priority in Joe Biden's presidential campaign. While he was running for president, Biden made promises on how we would get back to what we used to call normal. First and foremost, the Biden Administration started a 100 days masking challenge. The challenge encourages Americans to wear mask for the first 100 days of his presidency, with government officials setting a mask-wearing precedent. As we know, masks are critical in preventing the spread of COVID, and when people who are against wearing a mask see the legislators that they elected wearing a mask, they will hopefully be encouraged to mask up!
Additionally, the United States has rejoined the World Health Organization (WHO), after Trump made the executive decision for the United States to Withdraw from the WHO on July 6, 2020. The Biden Administration made the decision to send Dr. Faucci to the WHO executive board meeting on behalf of the United States.
UPDATE: On March 2, 2021, president Biden announced that there will be enough coronavirus vaccines for every adult U.S citizen by the end of May, 2021. Thanks to the development of Merck's vaccine as well as the FDA approval of Johnson and Johnson's vaccine, Biden's COVID recovery plan has been sped up dramatically, since the previous plan stated that there would be enough vaccines by July.
Alas, the $2000 stimulus check that millions of Americans hoped for has been lowered to $1400. This will be a part of the $1.9 trillion stimulus plan that will help the recovery of the American economy, which took a massive hit because of COVID-19. Though this check will help many, it likely will not be enough to provide for the basic needs of many.
All in all, things will be returning back to "normal" fairly soon! In spite of that, Americans should still follow CDC's coronavirus guidelines to ensure that a mask free future is ahead. Remember to wear a mask, wash your hands, and stay 6 feet a part from others in public areas!
Minimum Wage
A major point in the Biden Administration's campaign was the promised $15 minimum wage. The raised minimum wage would help people across the nation make ends meet, due to the fact that the cost of living has gone up since 1938, or when the minimum was established in the United States. Unfortunately, the senate decided against raising the minimum wage to $15 after the decision to put together a $1.9 trillion stimulus package was made. Nevertheless, Americans should still have hope. Senate Democrats hope to include raised minimum wage in a different legislative package later on in Biden's presidency.
Immigration
The Biden Administration made very strong promises in terms of immigration. During their campaign, they promised zero deportations within the first 100 days of Biden's presidency. Unfortunately, Texas Judge Drew Tipton did not allow this policy, saying that Biden's administration "to provide any concrete, reasonable justification for a 100-day pause on deportations." Due to Judge Tipton's ruling, about 26,248 migrants were deported to their home countries within Biden's first month in the Oval Office.
Despite this unfortunate statistic, the Biden Administration reversed Trump's infamous Muslim Ban, a policy that made it incredibly difficult for people from Muslim-majority countries to enter the United States.
Racial Equality
In terms of racial equality, Joe Bide has scratched the surface of his plan to put every American on a level playing field. On January 26th, 2021, he issued a memorandum called "Condemning and Combating Racism, Xenophobia, and Intolerance Against Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders in the United States" In this memorandum, Biden addresses the increase of racism against Asian Americans, which increased after Trump called the coronavirus "the China virus" time and time again. Additionally, he discusses his disappointment in Trump's failure when it comes to talking about racial minorities in such a negative way.
Nevertheless, Joe Biden has yet to do anything for the black community. During his campaign, he was very adamant about uplifting black voices and bringing coronavirus relief to black communities across the nation. Unfortunately, he has yet to do so but given time, Biden will hopefully measure up to his promises.
Foreign Affairs
For the most part, a majority of people expected Biden to remain peaceful and diplomatic in terms of foreign affairs. Unfortunately, this wasn't the case. On February 25, 2021, Biden authorized overnight airstrikes in eastern Syria. Through the Pentagon offered a more aggressive attack, American officials say that Biden chose the less aggressive attack option. This was a response to rocket attacks in northern Iraq, which killed a Filipino contractor and injured six others, which included a Louisiana National Guard soldier and four American contractors. The strike took place on the border of Syria and Iraq, which was done to prevent diplomatic response from the Iraqi government.
LGBTQ+ Rights
Within the first month of presidency, Joe Biden has done a fair amount of positive things in terms of LGBTQ+ rights! First and foremost, there is a trans representation his administration. Rachel Levine, a transgender doctor from Pennsylvania, has been chosen by Biden to be the assistant secretary of health. Though the LGBTQ+ representation among his administration is minimal, there is far more diversity among Biden's Administration than there has been in previous presidential administrations, and hopefully with time, we can make having a diverse team a social norm.
Adding onto that, Biden repealed the trans military ban that Trump put in place during his presidency. This policy reversed Obama's repeal of the "don't ask, don't tell" policy, which essentially forced the military back into the closet. Thankfully, with Biden's reversal of Trump's decision, military members can openly be themselves while serving their country.
Gun Control
Biden has many things planned in terms of gun control. First and foremost, he called on congress to enact what he called "common sense" gun laws on the 3rd anniversary of the Parkland school shooting. These "common sense" laws would make sure that guns go into the hands of people who would use them for the right reasons, since thorough background checks would be required before all weapon purchases. Adding onto that, the sale of assault would be prohibited. This would help prevent numerous mass shootings from happening, especially because the deadliest shootings in previous years have involved rifles. Though nothing has been done about gun control yet, it is very likely that action will be taken in the near future. The Biden Administration has addressed that making communities and schools safer is a priority to them, and laws will be put in place to reduce gun violence across the U.S.
What now?
Though what will happen throughout the rest of Biden's first term is fairly uncertain, there are a few key things to be on the lookout for. First and foremost, stimulus checks will be sent to the people that need them around the end of March. Furthermore, Biden has expressed that bringing back Obamacare is on the horizon. This will help Americans without health insurance have access to affordable insurance, which will be of great help to many, especially people who have lost jobs due to COVID. Lastly, hope for a raised minimum wage shouldn't be lost. The administration, as well as senate Democrats will likely push for a $15 minimum wage later on in Biden's presidency. All in all, the start of Biden's term hasn't been perfect, but it is certainly a start to building a better America.
Sources
https://www.washingtonpost.com/us-policy/2021/02/28/minimum-wage-backup-plan-biden-stimulus/
https://apnews.com/article/biden-administration-deports-hundreds-482889ed56ed3cd02c9c61ebd1e3fbb7
https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-immigration-texas-barack-obama-51688033e490d50867e52ef9c8ec574f
https://www.cnn.com/2021/03/02/politics/biden-merck-johnson--johnson-vaccine/index.html
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prevent-getting-sick/prevention.html
https://joebiden.com/blackamerica/
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/02/26/world/middleeast/biden-syria-iran.html
https://www.cnbc.com/2021/02/01/biden-to-reopen-obamacare-in-2-weekswhat-you-need-to-know.html
