Biden ready to steady ship
On Thursday, the US trades in an expensive but leaky yacht for a steady, persistent train. After the turbulent seas of the Donald Trump years, there will be a significant shift under “Amtrak Joe”, but it will take time to be felt amid the political and security waves pounding the US.
President-elect Joe Biden has a massive load on his shoulders. When he ran for president, he tried to present himself as a man of character in comparison to Trump. That expanded to having the right experience to deal with a pandemic and recession. Now there’s also the threat of mob violence, Trump’s legacy, and negotiating with an opposition party facing its own dilemmas.
After the attack on the Capitol, the country is in a race over hot coals to get to the end of this week. Washington looks like a city in a war zone. Any chance of a clean break for Biden as president is gone. It will be a full-on clean-up job.
The new US leaders will concentrate on subduing the coronavirus and re-booting the economy. That focus has been complicated by the upcoming trial of Trump in the Senate and setbacks with the distribution of vaccines.
Biden’s decision to go big with an aggressive US$1.9 trillion (NZ$2.6t) relief plan shows he will scrap hard to dominate the agenda. He doesn’t want to be trapped in Trumpian chaos.
The money will ramp up coronavirus vaccinations, provide money for states, and stimulus relief to families and small businesses. A comprehensive plan and clear direction from the federal government has been sorely lacking.
By hammering home in clear terms the urgent need for help, Biden is trying to build support for his plan and to put pressure on anyone in Congress thinking of opposing it. He also intends to take a leaf out of Trump’s book and make use of Executive Orders to get things done quickly.
With Democrats controlling the new House and Senate by narrow margins, Biden’s agenda will get a hearing. Republican support will be needed for some things. They will balk at the price tag for pandemic relief and try to peel parts of the plan away. It will be a test of Biden’s negotiating abilities and whether there is a big enough group of Republican senators prepared to work with Democrats.
Just how Trump’s trial and the Republican Party’s internal tensions affect Biden’s agenda remains to be seen. Republican officials are split among those who want to leave Trumpism behind and those who see political advantage in keeping the flame alive.
Biden wants his team to be known for competency. He has been methodical in his cabinet selections. He sets goals and is organised about trying to achieve them. He has spent a lot of time outlining his practical and policy aims.
Biden, who used to take the daily train to Delaware as a senator, had to scrap plans to travel to his inauguration by rail for security reasons.
A slow, determined train is coming to Washington, nevertheless.