What has biden done so far?

By Stephanie Dickinson, 2023

Published 3/8/21

February 20th marked the one month anniversary of Biden’s inauguration. But what exactly has the 46th president of the United States managed to accomplish in those four weeks? Let’s take a look at some of the most important actions...

According to NRDC reporter Melissa Denchak, in early January, he issued an executive order for the United States to rejoin the Paris Agreement, a worldwide pact dedicated to limiting the effects of global warming below 2℃. Former president Donald Trump formally withdrew America from the agreement in November of 2020, just weeks before the presidential election. As reported by NBC’s Elizabeth Janowski, other climate initiatives include revoking the permit for the Keystone XL pipeline, which would carry oil through indigenous North American lands, and halting oil and gas mining in the Arctic National Refuge. Furthermore, Biden recently introduced the “Buy American” plan, which would “suspend new oil and natural gas leases on public lands and conserve at least 30 percent of federal lands and waters by 2030” as well as the Office of Domestic Climate Policy, as stated by the Washington Post’s Editorial Board.

Elizabeth Janowski (NBC) reports that the Biden administration has also focused on repealing Trump-era legislation, including but certainly not limited to the travel ban on Muslim-majority nations, a law that cut funding from sanctuary communities for undocumented immigrants, and a law that addresses how government agencies conform to new rules and regulations. Funding has also been withdrawn from Trump’s Mexican-American border wall project, and government contracts with private prisons are not set to be renewed.

In regards to the pandemic, Biden is tightening restrictions in an attempt to curb new cases and deaths from COVID-19. Travel restrictions have been reinstated, a new pandemic testing board and Health Equity Task Force have been established, production of medical supplies has been increased under the Defense Production Act, access to COVID treatments has been expanded, and government agencies have been directed to use data collection to inform the public and make decisions. Lastly, the US is set to rejoin the World Health Organization, which Trump began to withdraw from in late 2020, as Ata Owaji Victor wrote in Elle.

According to Reuters, Biden has passed a number of initiatives to combat discrimination and racial inequality. LGBTQ+ Americans will now enjoy increased protection from discrimination, and transgender individuals will be allowed to serve in the military (a ban had been previously insistated). The President has also signed an executive order geared towards decreasing racial inequality.

Democrats especially have hailed the above policies as steps in the right direction, but Biden is receiving criticism for other actions. For instance, on Thursday, February 25th, American planes bombed Syrian buildings supposedly occupied by Iranian-backed militias. Supposedly, this was retaliation for attacks on U.S. forces in Iraq. Numerous casualties have been confirmed, but the exact number has not been released to the public just yet, according to Philadelphia Inquirer columnist Will Bunch.

Newsweek confirmed that the Biden administration is currently attempting to pass another relief package that would include $1,400 stimulus checks. The House of Representatives proposed and passed the bill on Friday. It is up to the Senate to make amendments and send it back to the House for confirmation.

Both Biden’s future plans and past actions are controversial and shaping up to have major changes to the country. While these are just proposals, the American people are hopeful that positive things are to come.