President Elect Joe Biden's Plans for the Presidency
Since president-elect Joe Biden delivered his victory speech in Delaware on November 7th, many Americans are curious as to what his official plans for the presidency entail. Biden and his vice president, Kamala Harris, have made many promises to the American people throughout the campaign process, here are the key issues they plan to tackle once inaugurated.
Without a doubt, Biden's main concern will be addressing the COVID-19 pandemic. Biden has made it clear that he plans on creating a task force complete with the most capable appointees. Biden has already mentioned some key names including that of Dr. David Kessler, a former commissioner for the FDA, who is expected to serve as the head of the task force. Assistant professor at Yale University, Dr. Marcella Nunez-Smith and former United States Surgeon General, Vivek Murphey, will also be part of Biden's task force. As of late, Biden has been in contact with Dr. Anthony Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.
The Biden-Harris administration is also expected to push for solid COVID-19 legislation within their first few days in office, as they have promised to secure funding for a second stimulus check and even an aid package. Biden proposed the idea of temporarily eliminating student debt for Americans as part of the aid package, promising to listen to his advisors and pay close attention to the science behind the virus by rejoining the World Health Organization (WHO). In their victory speeches, Biden and Harris stated that they are more than willing to work closely with governors and state lawmakers to ensure that an effective plan of action is put into place.
Additionally, Biden has proposed a second task force named “The COVID-19 Racial and Ethnic Disparities Task Force”, whose goal will be to expand testing and resources across the country. This task force, proposed by Vice Presidential elect Kamala Harris, will focus on distributing personal protective equipment (PPE), ventilators, and testing to communities of color that have been underrepresented and left with insufficient resources since the beginning of the pandemic in the United States. Finally, the last of Biden's COVID-19 relief plans includes the release of a vaccine free of cost that will be made available to all Americans.
Aside from the coronavirus, the Biden-Harris Administration plans to reverse many of Trump’s most controversial executive orders, including the so-called “Muslim ban” and the continued separation of families at the US-Mexico border. Biden has also introduced the idea of instituting a revived protocol for roughly 11 million immigrants seeking United States citizenship. Biden has confirmed his plan to make DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals) permanent and plans to halt funding for the construction of the US-Mexico border wall. Biden did state, however, that he plans on leaving sections of the border wall that have already been constructed untouched. Increased supervision of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency and the Customs and Border Protection agency by the Biden Administration are anticipated following allegations of the inhumane treatment of immigrants in detention centers.
Once inaugurated, Biden plans to increase funding to community-based policing efforts in response to the Black Lives Matter movement and the calls for police reform that President Trump refused to acknowledge. In the first 100 days of his presidency, Biden hopes to introduce a national police oversight commission that will focus on reforming the ways in which police departments hire officers and handle stressful situations while on the job.
In terms of foreign policy, Biden is determined to mend the United States’ relationships with other countries and former United States allies. Proposed democracy and climate change summits are also among Biden's plans for his first year in office to address modern-day issues.
Since beginning his campaign, Biden has introduced a series of policies that offer insight as to how his administration aims to correct key issues of today, especially those related to COVID-19 and racial inequality. Biden has promised some important policy changes and reversals that will likely take time but are expected to continue into his next four years in office.
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