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The Suffolk Journal

Your School. Your Paper. Since 1936.

The Suffolk Journal

Your School. Your Paper. Since 1936.

The Suffolk Journal

Biden’s plans for first days in office

Joe+Biden+from+his+days+in+Barack+Obamas+administration.+Image+from+the+White+House+via+picryl
Joe Biden from his days in Barack Obama’s administration. Image from the White House via picryl

President-elect Joe Biden has announced a series of plans and executive orders he will likely pass in his first days as president, ranging from COVID-19 relief to immigration and corporate tax reforms

Biden has promised to rejoin the World Health Organization on his first day in office, which President Donald Trump withdrew from in July. The WHO is an agency of the United Nations that is responsible for public health and has been at the forefront of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Americans are safer when America is engaged in strengthening global health,” tweeted Biden in July.

He has also pledged to raise corporate income tax on his first day, as outlined in his proposed tax plan, according to NPR. Biden’s plan would raise the tax from 21% to 28%, helping to fulfill his promise to make “wealthy Americans and big corporations pay their fair share,” according to his campaign website.

Biden announced Nov. 9 the formation of the Transition COVID-19 Advisory Board to advise Biden, Vice President-elect Kamala Harris, and the COVID-19 staff on how to handle the pandemic moving forward. 

“Dealing with the coronavirus pandemic is one of the most important battles our administration will face, and I will be informed by science and by experts,” said Biden. The advisory board will be led by Dr. David Kessler, Dr. Vivek Murthy, and Dr. Marcella Nunez-Smith, according to Biden-Harris Transition.

Even before taking office, Biden has vowed to start working on a COVID-19 relief bill during his transition, reported Politico

“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, what is needed,” he said

Biden’s relief plan calls for expansion of testing, providing clear guidance on how communities should navigate the pandemic and increasing the country’s capacity to make personal protective equipment.

Biden has also promised to create comprehensive immigration legislation starting on day one.

“On day one I’m sending, no matter what the state of this (pandemic) is, to the United States Congress a bill to provide for a path to citizenship for 11 million undocumented people, number one, in the United States,” he said in an interview with MSNBC

In addition to this bill, Biden has vowed to make the program DACA permanent on his first day. This would provide a pathway to citizenship for the immigrant youth who were brought to the United States before the age of 16 and have continuously resided in the United States since June 15, 2007. These children are often referred to as “DREAMers.”

Biden has numerous plans that may be hard to pass in a divided Congress, reported NPR. His main goal, however, seems to be getting the United States off the path it was on with President Trump. While some of his plans may be difficult to pass through the Senate, Biden has emphasized in his victory speech that he intends “to make America respected around the world again and to unite us here at home.”

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About the Contributor
Shealagh Sullivan
Shealagh Sullivan, Editor-in-Chief | she/her
Shealagh is a senior majoring in journalism with a minor in international relations from Ashby, Massachusetts. She has previously worked as a co-op for the Boston Globe on the homepage desk and as an intern for GBH News and Boston Public Radio. In her spare time, she enjoys reading, finding a new favorite coffee spot and exploring Boston. She is a huge art lover and wants nothing more than to see the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam. After graduation, Shealagh hopes to be a political journalist in Washington D.C. Follow Shealagh on X @ShealaghS.

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    Jonathan CroninNov 23, 2020 at 6:34 pm

    Very informative! Biden may not of been many of our first choice, but it’s good to finally have a president who will actually take action and do his best to help Americans.

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Biden’s plans for first days in office