A rundown of what to expect from President-Elect Joe Biden

Perhaps the climax of an eventful year, the 2020 presidential election results have determined that Joe Biden will take office as the 46th president of the United States. What does this mean for our country? The president has an array of responsibilities that include the climate,  economy, and education. Whether you support the President- Elect or not, it is important to be aware of his agenda and what he has in store for our country during his time in office. Joe Biden has promised to build back America better, and this is how he plans to do so.

COVID-19

The first and most important issue that Biden will have to tackle the second he steps foot into the White House is the ongoing pandemic that is currently ravaging our country. According to his website, Joebiden.com, his administration plans to “Listen to science, ensure public health decisions are informed by public health professionals, and restore trust, transparency, common purpose, and accountability to our government.” But how exactly will he execute these promises? With a seven step plan he developed with his Vice President, Kamala Harris. The plan includes steps such as ensuring all Americans have access to free, reliable testing and implementing nationwide mask mandates to help stop the rapid spread of the virus. Read an in depth summary of Bidens COVID-19 plan here 

JOBS AND ECONOMICS

Joe Biden made his stance on the current state of our economy clear: it needs to be built back better. The Biden-Harris administration laid out their plan to help the economy recover from the effects of COVID-19 . Biden laid out multiple plans for stimulating job creation and the economy. These plans will allow the Biden administration to ultimately reach their goal of providing relief to working families, small businesses, and communities. The Biden website has a multistep plan for how the President-Elect plans on tackling the rebuilding of our economy. According to Joebiden.com, his plan will build “an economy where every American enjoys a fair return for their work and an equal chance to get ahead. An economy more vibrant and more powerful precisely because everybody will be cut in on the deal.” Some of the key points from this plan include using “all available authorities, including the Defense Production Act, to turn the tide on the pandemic,” “increasing social security checks by $200/month,” and “keeping as many on the payroll as possible and make americans whole for lost hours and wages.” According to JoeBiden.com, Biden knows the challenge of coming into an economy that was  destroyed by poor maintenance during the pandemic, but he has shown that his plan is extensive and will work for the betterment of the American economy. Read a full plan of Bidens economic recovery plan here

HEALTH CARE

Ah, health care. A topic that never fails to get anyone from either political party riled up. Joe Biden has made his stance on healthcare very clear: protect the Affordable Care Act. Biden made it extremely clear at his rallies and debates that he believes affordable, reliable health care is a human right. The Affordable Care Act was first introduced by Biden’s former colleague, President Barack Obama. A notable accomplishment of Obamacare includes “over 100 million people no longer have to worry that an insurance company will deny coverage or charge higher premiums just because they have a pre-existing condition – whether cancer or diabetes or heart disease or a mental health challenge,” which can be found on JoeBiden.com/healthcare/. Biden plans to protect these rights and extend them “by giving Americans more choice, reducing health care costs, and making our health care system less complex to navigate.” A more detailed plan to extend upon protection for the Affordable Care Act includes:

• Giving every american access to affordable health insurance.
• Provide the peace of mind of affordable, quality health care and a less complex health care system.
• Stand up to abuse of power by prescription drug corporations.
• Ensure health care is a right for all, not a privilege for just a few.
• Supporting health, not rewarding wealth.

For a comprehensive plan of what the Biden administration plans to do to improve healthcare in america click here.

CLIMATE

Over the past four years, the climate crisis occurring in our country has gained vast amounts of traction in the media. More and more people have started voicing their concerns for global warming and pollution, and many other  issues impacting our climate. Joe Biden is being given a chance to drastically change our climate for the better, but how will he act upon it? One of Biden’s main slogans during his campaign included “listen to science”, which is a significant change from our current administration’s philosophy. In order to protect from climate change, Biden has made promises to 

• “Ensure the U.S. achieves a 100% clean energy economy and reaches net-zero emissions no later than 2050.”
• Rally the rest of the world to meet the threat of climate change.
• Stand up to the abuse of power by polluters who disproportionately harm communities of color and low-income communities.
• Fulfill our obligation to workers and communities who powered our industrial revolution and subsequent decades of economic growth. “ according to his website.

Biden has many intricate sub plans for smaller climate crises as well, all of which can be found here.

Overall, the future in Joe Biden’s America looks well thought out and promising. His team has published plans to tackle many other issues as well including education, housing, and equality. The Biden administration has started out their leadership by being open and honest with Americans, which is a step in the right direction. All eyes will be on the White House to see the way these plans unfold over the next four years. To get a better understanding of what Joe Biden and Kamala Harris stand for, refer to the Biden campaign website where all his plans are published. There is also personal  information about the two elected officials that gives citizens a better opportunity to understand what to expect from our next President and Vice President.