Biden plans ‘roughly 12’ instructions

WILMINGTON: US President-elect Joe Biden will cap a busy day of inauguration pageantry by using the powers of his new office to push policy changes on housing, student loans, climate change and immigration, a top aide said on Saturday.

Mr Biden, who campaigned on a raft of promises to undo President Donald Trump’s legacy even before the novel coronavirus pandemic walloped the nation, will unveil “roughly a dozen” previously promised executive actions on Wednesday, incoming Biden chief of staff Ron Klain said in a memo distributed to reporters.

The actions to be taken on Wednesday include rejoining the Paris climate accords, reversing a travel ban on several majority Muslim countries, extending a pause on federal student loan payments, halting evictions and foreclosures, as well as mandating masks in inter-state travel and on federal property.

Most of the measures are a reversal of policies Mr Trump pursued and do not require congressional action. But Mr Biden will also unveil a long-expected immigration proposal that would provide a pathway to citizenship for millions of undocumented immigrants that does require congressional action.

That measure, as well as Mr Biden’s recent proposal for US$1.9 trillion (57.1 trillion baht) in spending on Covid vaccinations and economic stimulus, face uphill battles in a Congress narrowly controlled by Democrats.

A broader set of Mr Biden’s “Day One” promises will be executed over the following nine days after inauguration, Mr Klain said. Those measures include expanding Covid-19 testing and directing the government to favour American-made goods when it makes purchases.