USA TODAY International Edition
Biden sets his course
In a presidency so far defined by crises, has he kept his promises?
Where Biden’s key campaign vows stand
This week marks President Joe Biden’s 100th day in office, as well as his first address to a joint session of Congress.
In his speech, the president recognized many of the accomplishments of his administration during the past four months. Traditionally used as a benchmark of progress for a new president, the first 100 days of the Biden administration were defined by the COVID- 19 pandemic, economic recovery and an influx of migrants at the U. S.- Mexico border.
Here’s where Biden stands on the proposals and promises he made as a presidential candidate and as a newly minted president:
COVID- 19 & HEALTH Completed
● The administration passed its goal of 100 million vaccines distributed on March 19 – more than a month earlier than scheduled. The U. S. reached 200 million shots on April 21.
● Biden rescinded former President Donald Trump’s decision to withdraw from the World Health Organization. The U. S. rejoined the WHO in January, and director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease Dr. Anthony Fauci was chosen by Biden as the country’s representative on the world body’s executive committee.
● As one of his first acts as president, Biden signed an executive order mandating masks, physical distancing and other CDC- recommended public health measures on all federal property to mitigate the spread of COVID- 19.
● The administration set a goal to launch or support 100 community vaccination centers within the first month of Biden’s presidency. The federal government has supplied personnel, funding or and equipment to help establish 441 centers since Jan. 20, according to a statement from the White House.
In progress
Biden signed an executive order in January to strengthen the Affordable Care Act and Medicaid. As part of the COVID- 19 relief package, the administration reopened ACA enrollment for the uninsured through May 15.
The administration released a sevenpoint plan to beat COVID- 19. It includes:
● Regular, reliable access to free testing; guaranteed personal protective equipment.
● Evidenced- based guidance for communities; equitable distribution of treatments and vaccines.
● Expanded protections for older Americans and those at higher risk of contracting coronavirus.
● Expanding defenses against pandemic threats from other countries.
● Implementing a nationwide mask mandate.
Biden’s COVID- 19 relief package included $ 10 billion to help schools expand COVID- 19 testing for students, teachers and staff to facilitate sending children back to school. In February, the president said he wanted more than 50% of schools to have some in- person teaching at least once a week by Day 100 of his presidency.
A third of vaccines administered by community vaccination centers to hardhit neighborhoods will be delivered by mobile units provided by the administration.
CLIMATE Completed
● Biden rejoined the Paris Agreement on climate change in January, overturning Trump’s decision to remove the U. S. from the accord.
● The administration promised to finance efforts toward lowering greenhouse gas emissions as part of implementing objectives outlined in the Paris Agreement.
● Last week, Biden announced a target of a 50% to 52% reduction in greenhouse gas pollution by 2030 from 2005 levels. The administration aims to reach net zero emissions economy wide by 2050.
In progress
● Biden’s $ 2 trillion infrastructure plan includes $ 100 billion for clean energy investments and upgrades to the nation’s electrical grid.
● Biden tasked Secretary of State Antony Blinken with preparing a transmittal package to the Senate for permission to ratify the Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer in the next 60 days.
● The president has committed to decarbonizing the electrical grid by 2035 and promised to eliminate subsidies for fossil fuel drillers and producers.
● $ 174 million has been earmarked to subsidize the electric vehicle industry.
● Biden ordered the Interior Department to conserve at least 30% of federal lands and waters by 2030 via executive action.
● The administration promised to curb emissions in the aviation industry through continued participation in Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation and advances in the development and deployment of sustainable fuels. The U. S. will also colead Mission Innovation’s objective to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in international shipping with Denmark.
ECONOMY AND TAXES Completed
● Biden extended Trump’s pause on federal student loan and interest repayments through September. The pause was instituted via executive order on Biden’s first day in office.
● Last month, Biden signed a $ 1.9 trillion COVID- 19 relief bill into law. The law gave direct $ 1,400 payments to citizens, allotted billions to reopen schools and colleges, extended unemployment benefits and allocated $ 50 billion in small business assistance, among other measures.
In progress
● The president signed an executive order in February to strengthen the resiliency of U. S. supply chains. The secretaries of commerce, defense, energy and health are required to submit reports on supply chain risks within 100 days.
● Biden issued an executive order in January directing the federal government to purchase goods made in American whenever possible.
Not started
● Biden has proposed raising the corporate tax rate from 21% to 28% to help pay for his infrastructure plan.
IMMIGRATION Completed
● Biden revoked Trump’s 2017 Interior Enforcement Executive Order, which broadened the criteria for undocumented immigrants subject to deportation via executive order on Day One. The order also restarted the Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Secure Communities program which prioritizes immigrants with criminal records for removal and supported the federal 287( g) deportation program authorizing ICE to partner with state and local law enforcement agencies.
● Biden signed an executive order to reunify migrant families in February, rescinding a Trump administration family separation policy. The efforts will be implemented by a task force headed by the secretary of Homeland Security.
● Biden ended Trump’s travel ban on travelers entering the U. S. from several Muslim majority countries via executive order on the first day of is presidency. The administration committed to screening entrants through information sharing with other governments.
● On his first day in office, Biden signed a proclamation to halt the construction of the Trump administration’s border wall between the U. S. and Mexico.
In progress
Biden’s U. S. Citizenship Act of 2021 has not yet been voted on in the House. The bill would:
● Provide funding for immigration officer training to promote safety and professionalism. The bill also authorizes the Department of Homeland Security to investigate criminal and administrative misconduct.
● Streamline the naturalization process for lawful permanent U. S. residents.
● Reestablish a Task Force on New Americans to promote integration and inclusion of immigrants.
● Reform the Trump- era asylum system to extend legal protections to and supplement other countries’ abilities to provide opportunities to asylum seekers.
● Extend temporary legal status to vulnerable migrants.
Biden attempted to reverse the “public charge” rule – a policy implemented by Trump that denied green cards to immigrants who use public benefits. The Supreme Court refused to argue the legality of the rule because the administration and several states declined to enforce it.
● Presidential candidate Biden proposed protecting undocumented immigrants and veterans who served in the military and their spouses from deportation.
● The administration proposed ending prolonged detention for migrants, but no announcements have been made regarding investments in case management systems to process migrants out of detention centers.
● Biden’s proposed meeting with regional leaders to discuss issues surrounding migrants has not yet occurred. Vice President Kamala Harris spoke with President Andrés Manuel López Obrador of Mexico about root causes of migrants from El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras.
Not started
● Biden tried to deliver on his promise to block deportations for most for 100 days, but a federal judge in Texas issued a temporary order in January to stop enforcement of the stay in deportations. The judge later ruled the pause violated federal law and exceeded the president’s authority.
HOUSING
In February, the administration extended a COVID- 19 forbearance and foreclosure protections for homeowners through June 2021. The COVID- 19 relief bill also included $ 30 billion in aid for renters and landlords.
In progress
As a presidential candidate, Biden said he would direct his secretary of Housing and Urban Development to fully review federal housing policies to make sure they prioritize a “housing first” approach. This month, HUD Secretary Marcia Fudge announced the allocation of nearly $ 5 billion in American Rescue Plan funds for the HOME Investment Partnership Program to create affordable housing services.
Not started
Presidential candidate Biden proposed developing a national strategy to make housing a right for all. Biden said he would direct his HUD secretary to lead a task force of mayors and other elected officials to build a road map within his first 100 days in office. Fudge has not yet implemented this plan.