What to Expect from Biden’s First 100 Days

By the time this is printed, President-Elect Joe Biden will have been sworn into office and begun his service as the 47th President of the United States. He does so with many campaign promises to keep, including new policies which will swiftly veer the country off its current, destructive path. 

In addition to reversing or updating decisions made by the Trump administration, Biden spoke at length about his ambitious economic and environmental initiatives, as well as broad actions on racial justice, education, and healthcare. 

The sheer volume of his initiatives alone could make them difficult to execute; Biden has introduced more than a dozen policies just on immigration, all of which he plans to complete within his first 100 days. However, the remarkable win for democrats in control of the Senate may very well help push these policies along. 

Coronavirus Response

High on the priority list is, of course, Biden’s response to coronavirus. Days after becoming president-elect, Biden announced a team of advisers that will spearhead his pandemic response once he takes office. 

“The advisory board will help shape my approach to managing the surge in reported infections; ensuring vaccines are safe, effective, and distributed efficiently, equitably, and freely; protecting at-risk populations,” Biden says in a statement. 

As a part of this initiative, Biden has promised to work on a new coronavirus aid package. “I’ll ask the new Congress to put a bill on my desk by the end of January with all the resources to see how both our public health and economic response can be seen through the end,” he claimed at an event in late October 2020. 

Climate Change

One of Biden’s longest-standing campaign promises is to reenter the United States into the Paris Climate Accord of 2015. The U.S. is the second-largest emitter of greenhouse gases behind China and is seen as a key power in the global effort to reduce the effects of climate change. Upon rejoining, the U.S. will likely be expected to provide a climate target that is updated from the Obama administration’s goal and a plan to reduce domestic emissions from the power and energy sector.

The president-elect also heads into office with an extensive set of environmental goals proposed through his clean energy plan, which includes getting the country to net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. The proposal calls for a $2 trillion investment throughout his term to boost reliance on clean energy and climate-sustainable practices.

Immigration

Biden has said on his first day in office he would enact comprehensive legislation that would create a pathway to citizenship for more than 11 million migrants currently living in the U.S. This legislation would also create pathways to citizenship for DREAMers who are affected by the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, or DACA. Biden has additionally pledged to solidify DACA as a permanent fixture within the government. 

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“For over eight years, DACA has given hundreds of thousands of young immigrants who came to this country as children the chance to contribute to the country they know as home. And with that opportunity, they have shown the incredible capacity of the immigrant spirit,” Biden says. “[I] will continue to stand with DACA recipients, their parents, and their families at every step, and in November, joined by millions across this country, we will reject the president who tried to rip so many of our family members, friends, and coworkers out of our lives.”

Biden has also vowed to put an end to the separation of families at the U.S.-Mexico border. On Day One as president, Biden has said he plans to pass an executive order establishing a task force focused on reuniting children and parents separated at the border.

Racial Equality and Justice

Given the civil unrest the country saw over the summer and landmark Black Lives Matter protests taking place not just in the U.S. but around the world, racial equality measures have also made it high on Biden’s priority list. Biden has pushed for the passage of laws to strengthen the Voting Rights Act. 

The Voting Rights Advancement Act establishes a targeted process for reviewing voting changes in jurisdictions nationwide, focused on measures that have historically been used to discriminate against voters, legislation which passed the U.S. House in 2019 but not the Senate, which will now be Democrat-run. 

Biden has also said he will institute a national, police oversight commission within his first 100 days of taking office. This part of a larger plan to help overhaul policing, including investing $300 million into community policing measures across the U.S. and tasking the Justice Department with investigating possible issues of police and prosecutorial misconduct.

LGBTQ Rights 

The Equality Act has also made it high on Biden’s list and is another example of legislation he hopes to pass within his first 100 days. The Equality Act would provide consistent and explicit anti-discrimination protections for LGBTQ people across key areas of life, including employment, housing, credit, education, public spaces and services, federally funded programs, and jury service. The Equality Act was passed before by the democratic-led House of Representatives back in 2019; however, the legislation was stalled in the republican-run Senate.

“I will make enactment of the Equality Act a top legislative priority during my first 100 days—a priority that Donald Trump opposes,” Biden told press prior to his election. “I’ll stand up to bullies and once more put human rights at the center of America’s engagement with the world.” 

Yet this is just the tip of the iceberg. Biden also has extensive plans to revitalize the economy, build upon the Affordable Care Act, and put an end to Trump’s executive order banning travelers from some Muslim-majority countries. Other early moves expected from Biden include changes to both higher and public education; most notably he has expressed his support for Senator Bernie Sanders’ College for All Act. 

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However, Trump’s current impeachment could complicate the beginning of the Biden administration, as the Senate will most likely be tied up with a trial. In a statement, Biden told the press that he was still waiting to hear if the chamber could simultaneously confirm cabinet members while an impeachment trial is underway. Both Biden and Schumer have argued that the Senate will try to divide its days so that it can confirm Biden’s nominees and consider COVID-19 stimulus legislation, while also carrying out the trial. 

Biden has boasted an ambitious and busy first 100 days in office. Many Americans are eager for a fresh start and administration, though there is still a prevailing sentiment that presses Biden as a more moderate candidate to stay accountable and enact the change necessary to rehabilitate the country. OFM will continue to monitor the Biden Administration in hopes that it can fulfill its many promises.