Joe Biden always worked hard during his days as Vice President. But now, what is he doing in his first week as President of the United States? (Photo in the public domain)
Joe Biden has only been President for a little over a week and has already signed over 30 executive orders according to US Today. These orders range from completely new ideas to reversals of orders Trump previously put in place. But with all of these orders flooding in it’s hard to keep up, so what exactly has President Biden done in his first week?
A Complete Change in Climate Policy
During President Biden’s first week on the job, America’s climate policies have been changing rapidly.
For starters, the United States has officially rejoined the Paris Agreement, which focuses on combating greenhouse gas emissions, climate change, and creating environmental policies. This officially reversed Trump’s decision to pull out of the agreement in 2017.
President Biden signed three executive orders on Wednesday that combat climate change. In general, these orders say the White House deeply values scientific and evidence-based thinking when it comes to climate change. The memorandum stated that the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST) will be reestablished. The orders also have a goal to reach a net-zero economy by 2050 and conserve at least 30% of America’s lands and oceans by 2030.
Biden also signed an order halting the construction of the Keystone XL pipeline, which runs through two Native reservations. Permits for drilling on federal land and water were also suspended for 60 days.
America Focused Economy
On Monday, Biden launched the “Buy American” campaign. Buy American’s purpose is to encourage the federal government to buy more American made products. The campaign will “help American businesses compete in strategic industries and help America’s workers thrive,” wrote President Biden in the order.
President Biden also laid the foundation for a new $15 living wage for federal employees. “The Federal Government should serve as a model employer,” stated Biden in an order.
COVID-19 Relief
When Biden became President, he began rolling out multiple COVID-19 policy proposals.
One of Biden’s biggest decisions when entering office was to reverse Trump’s decision to leave the WHO, also known as the World Health Organization. When the administration reentered the organization, they stated they would “support the COVID-19 health and humanitarian response, and advance global health and health security.”
He also signed an order to improve and expand access to healthcare and COVID-19 vaccinations. A large part of the order states that the Secretary of Health and Human Services and Director of the National Institutes of Health should develop a plan for research of the vaccine in rural areas.
Promotion of Equity
Biden took on the issue of housing discrimination and equity after issuing executive orders to address racial bias in federal housing and terminate the use of private government prisons.
The President also worked on two LBGTQ+ policies. The first was to reverse Trump’s ban on transgender Americans from joining the military by stating that “gender identity should not be a bar to military service.” Biden also extended federal nondiscrimination policies for members of the LGBTQ+ community.
Immigration Reform
One of Biden’s biggest promises when getting elected was that he would reverse Trump’s strict immigration policies, and so far he has delivered.
Biden issued multiple immigration-related executive orders on day one, but one of the biggest was the revival of DACA.
DACA, or Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, is an Obama administration program that shielded undocumented immigrants that came to the United States as a child from deportation. The program was reversed by Trump in 2017, but now Biden has sent his immigration plan to congress with permanent residence and citizenship for DACA recipients inside.
President Biden also reversed Trump’s policy which forbids refugees and residents of seven Muslim-dominated countries from entering the United States. The order also states that the Secretary of State should resume visa processing within the next 45 days.
Now, undocumented immigrants will also be counted on the U.S. census, per another executive order.
In the last seven days, President Biden has introduced many new policies. The orders aim to address a variety of issues and concerns of the American people. With such a productive first week, all that’s left to do is hope these policies and the next four years pan out well.
Hi! My name is Cassidy and I am a staff writer for The Mycenaean. I am also a member of Book Club and Tech Theatre.