Here's Everything President Joe Biden Has Promised to Do During His First 100 Days in Office
In 1933, U.S. President Franklin Delano Roosevelt passed 15 major pieces of legislation and 76 laws during his first 100 days in office. By today’s standards—given, you know, Congress’ inability to pass any laws—those numbers sound mind-blowing. But part of the reason FDR was able to be so productive was because the U.S. was in crisis. He was dealing with the Great Depression, and that sense of emergency allowed him to take swift action with the aim of pulling the country out of economic chaos.
President Joe Biden is also dealing with crises at the beginning of his term. “[Biden] has to address difficult questions few presidents have had to deal with, ranging from an unprecedented pandemic and ensuing economic collapse to hostile opposition in the House, and particularly in the Senate, which has no agenda other than stopping his,” said Professor Michael Gerhardt, the Samuel Ashe Distinguished Professor of Constitutional Law at the University of North Carolina, in an email to Cosmopolitan.
Biden and his staff have compared the challenges he’s facing to those of FDR during the Depression, and they’re planning on pushing through legislation that is just as ambitious. But before we take a peek at the president’s plans, let’s clear up some questions.
First of All, Why 100 Days?
Even though the first 100 days are kind of an arbitrary checkpoint in a presidency, they’ve been given a lot of weight ever since FDR. “The first 100 days for a president in his first term are always important because he defines his priorities and direction in those days,” said Gerhardt.
“Political time is limited for any president, and very soon opponents start to position themselves for the midterms and division within a party start[s] to emerge…the 100 days has also been an artificial marker—but one which creates a certain amount of momentum and political impetus for moving big bills,” added Professor Julian Zelizer, a Professor of History and Public Affairs of Princeton University, to Cosmo. Basically, it’s a time for the president to set the tone for the next four years.
For Biden specifically, Professor Zelizer doesn’t think the first 100 days will be his most important period, which is important to keep in mind. “The most important window would come in the summer and fall—once the vaccine has been rolled out and the surge is over,” said Zelizer. “If Biden can accomplish this, Americans will feel very positive toward the administration,” he added.
Ahead, a breakdown of Biden’s goals for his administration’s first 100 days in office.
President Biden’s Executive Orders and Plans He Will Sign on Day One
Needless to say, Biden’s got a big first day planned. As for the remaining 99 days, here’s what the Biden administration is proposing when it comes to COVID-19 relief, the economy, the environment, health care, racial equity, foreign policy, immigration, criminal justice, and more.
Biden’s Plans for COVID-19 Relief
You can read more about Biden’s plans for dealing with the pandemic here.
Biden’s Plans for the Economy
You can read more about Biden’s economic recovery plan here.
Biden’s Plans for the Environment
You can read more about Biden’s plan for the environment here.
Biden’s Plans for Healthcare, Racial Equity, and Foreign Policy
You can read more about Biden’s plan for the healthcare here; his plans for racial equity here; and his plans for foreign policy here.
Biden’s Plans for Immigration
You can read more about Biden’s plan for the immigration here.
Biden’s Plans for Criminal Justice Reform and Gun Control
You can read more about Biden’s plan for the criminal justice reform here; and his place for gun control here.
What Else Is the Biden Administration Focused On?
While his team hasn’t been clear on a timeline for all of the topics below, Biden has noted that the following issues are important to him and his administration:
To read more about President Biden’s vision for his administration, click here.
How Will Trump’s Impeachment Trial Affect Biden’s First 100 Days?
The Senate impeachment trial is set to start on January 20—right after Biden is sworn in. There has been concern that the trial could delay Biden’s plans. “[The trial] will undoubtedly be used by his opposition to show that Biden’s party is more interested in payback than compromise and moving forward,” Gerhardt told Cosmopolitan. “Keep in mind that Biden, the Speaker, and soon to be Majority Leader Schumer can respond that Trump is responsible for his own troubles as well as the mess that the Biden team has to clean up.”
Biden hopes the Senate will split their days into two parts so the trial won’t derail the beginning of his term. The first half of the day would be focused on confirming Biden’s Cabinet nominees and other legislation, and the second half of the day would be focused on the impeachment trial.
What’s the Likelihood of Biden’s Plans Actually Happening?
Now that Democrats hold a super-narrow majority in the Senate, they have control over the House, the Senate, and the presidency. That will make it a little bit easier for Biden to accomplish his agenda—but it won’t all be smooth sailing. However, there are three actions Biden can take to stop his legislation from getting held up in Congress should there be a block of some kind.
Executive Order
This is a document that tells the executive branch to do something. Because these orders aren’t technically legislation, they don’t require Congressional approval, and they’re not easy for Congress to overturn. However, if federal courts think a presidential order goes beyond the scope of a president’s power, they can strike them down. Biden’s already planning on signing a number of executive orders on day one.
Ending the Senate Filibuster
A filibuster is when a senator speaks on the floor for a long time—without breaks—to delay voting on an issue. In order to stop a filibuster and pass a bill, you need 60 votes, which is considered a super-majority. That is nearly impossible to get these days, given the fact that the Senate is so divided along party lines.
With their slight majority in the Senate, Democrats could use the “nuclear option,” a procedural move that could end filibusters with a simple majority vote and make it easier for Biden to push his legislation through. Biden said he’d consider ending filibusters, depending on how obstructive the Republican Party is to his agenda, but there’s still another roadblock—Senator Joe Manchin, a Democrat from West Virginia, is against ending filibusters.
Budget Reconciliation
This is a loophole to the filibuster; the budget reconciliation process means if there’s legislation that affects taxes or spending, then the Senate Democrats can pass it with a simple majority. That is how Trump got his tax cuts bill passed in 2017 with Senate Republican support.
But there’s a catch (of course). It can only be used once per budget resolution, aka about once a year—and if it’s not related to taxes or the budget, then it can’t be passed. For example, the Democrats can’t use budget reconciliation on an issue like statehood for D.C.
How much Biden is able to accomplish in his first 100 days with such a divided Congress remains to be seen, but regardless, his first 100 days as president are shaping up to be eventful.
Source: Read Full Article