President Joe Biden

President Biden and What He Must Accomplish

Abstract

President Joe Biden faces a difficult challenge of uniting a nation that has never before been more divided.  To pull it off, it is crucial that he select the right members for his Cabinet.  It is also important that in his first 100 days in office he lays the foundation for the administration and what it aims to accomplish.  This paper will discuss the background situation in which Biden takes office, who will play a role in his Cabinet, and what he needs to accomplish in his first 100 days.  It will show that the goal of Biden’s presidency is to heal the nation and to make good on his campaign promise to restore the soul of America.

Topics

How President Joe Biden can restore the soul of America in the wake of the Trump Era.

What must Biden do to bring the two divided parties together so that the US can move forward in a positive direction?

Who should Biden pick for his Cabinet so that he can succeed in accomplishing his mandate?

What must Biden accomplish in his first 100 days in office to show the nation that he is the right man for the job?

Titles

No More Malarkey:  Joe Biden Must Rise to the Task of Healing America

Can Biden Overcome the Naysayers and Skeptics?

Getting Back to Normalcy:  Biden’s Path Forward for the Next Four Years

Regardless of Whether He Stole the Election, Biden is President and This is What He Will Do

Outline

Introduction

2020 was the year that wrecked the American economy, put millions out of work, and led to depreciation of the dollar.  As president, Joe Biden has his work cut out for him if he is going to restore Americans’ faith in the government.  Many are angry over lockdowns, suspicious of the rushed COVID vaccine, and upset over the election.  To help America turn the page, Biden needs to bring all Americans together again.

Essay Hook

If Biden doesn’t deliver on his promise to end the malarkey in American politics, America will be in danger of becoming a banana republic.

Thesis Statement

Biden can accomplish his goal by surrounding himself with the right people and making good on his promises in his first 100 days in office.

Body

Background

America is currently more divided than ever before in its history.  There is constant talk of a threat of civil war.  Nearly half of voters believe the 2020 election was stolen.  COVID is still a fear and lockdowns are still being implemented by local and state governments.  Americans need some relief, but so far the stimulus bills that have been passed have done little to help the situation.

President Biden is only one man.  His age is still a going concern for many, so it is important that he put the right people in place to help him get America back on its feet again.  The current situation calls for leadership, and Biden has the political experience to deliver that leadership and appoint others who can help him lead.  Thus, it is absolutely crucial that he fill out his Cabinet with the best and brightest and that he take the initiative in the first 100 days of his administration to instill confidence in Americans that he will get the job done.

Biden’s Cabinet

Biden’s Cabinet will likely be composed of individuals who have already served some sort of office.  For instance, Biden has nominated Janet Yellen—former Federal Reserve Chair—to be Treasury Secretary.  That means there will be considerable alignment between the central bank and the US Treasury Department as the nation heads into 2021. 

Anthony Blinken has been nominated to be Secretary of State.  Blinken served as Deputy Secretary of State under Obama, so this move appears to be a continuation of the Obama Administration, which is what many supporters of the Left would be happy to see.  However, if Biden wants to win the support of the Right, he will need to do more than simply surround himself with old office holders from the days of Obama.

Yet, Biden appears determined to carry on the legacy of Obama. For instance, his nomination for Attorney General is Merrick Garland, who Obama wanted to put on the Supreme Court in 2016.  But Republicans controlled the Senate and refused to hold a confirmation hearing:  they wanted to let Trump fill the seat (Crawford, 2021).  It could be that party politics will continue to rule the day as Biden gets even with Senate Republicans by nominating Garland as AG.  Biden’s picks are all likely to go through as well because Democrats now control Congress, with VP Harris acting as tie breaker for the Senate.

Biden has also picked Democrat Boston Mayor Marty Walsh to head up the Department of Labor.  Some had hoped Biden would nominate Bernie Sanders for this position, as his socialist agenda has long been something many supporters have wanted to see implemented.  Sanders believes he will be of more help to Biden by remaining in the Senate (Crawford, 2021).

Replacing Betsy DeVos in the Department of Education will be Miguel Cardona.  This is an important appointment, and the Cabinet, which will have multiple Latinos in it, will be made extra diverse by Cardona’s presence.  Cardona already serves as the commissioner of education in Connecticut.  It is therefore not a surprise that Biden should select him.

Biden’s pick to head the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is Michael Regan.  This is a selection that does have some of the bipartisan character that Biden needs to show in his cabinet selections.  Regan has served in the EPA during both Republican and Democratic administrations.  He is one who can walk across the aisle and collaborate with both parties.

These picks are likely to show Americans that Biden wants to work with a diverse Cabinet and demonstrate the sort of inclusivity that he believes America needs to embrace.  He should have no problem getting his nominations confirmed.  The next step in his presidency is to show strength and character in his first 100 days in office.          

What He Needs to Accomplish in His First 100 Days

In his first 100 days, Biden needs to lay the track for what his administration will do in the coming years.  So much emphasis is placed on the first 100 days because it indicates whether or not this is a president from whom one can expect realistic outcomes.  Sometimes a president will talk a big game as a candidate but fail to deliver once he takes office.  It is important that Biden show some initiative in his first 100 days.

On Day 1, Biden has promised to get tough on COVID (Moore, 2020).  Already signs are showing that COVID may be going away by the time Biden takes office, so he will naturally get the credit for defeating the pandemic.  Biden has already asked everyone to “mask up” for 100 days following his inauguration, so it is expected that by the end of that period COVID will be all gone and Biden’s promotion of the mask will be what the media points to as the reason for its disappearance.

Biden also plans to do away with the corporate tax cut that was passed under the Trump administration.  Currently the corporate tax rate is set at 21% and Biden plans to raise it to 28%.  Biden does not want to raise the taxes of the middle class, however, and what remains to be seen is how effective his tax plan will be—and whether or not it gets through Congress in time.

Another thing that Biden wants to do is put climate change front and center of his policy.  Under Trump, climate change was not a major issue and the US left the Paris Accord.  Biden wants to reverse course and put America at the head of climate change awareness.  The steps that Biden takes in his first 100 days to achieve this goal will be important in setting the tone.

The other big topic that Biden wants to address quickly is the immigration issue.  There are a lot of immigrants in America, many of them here illegally.  If Biden gives them all citizenship, it would mean a lot of new voters for Democrats.  Biden could help to shore up support for the Democratic Party come midterm elections by acting quickly and granting citizenship to these immigrants.

Conclusion:  Healing the Nation

If Biden wants to make good on his promise to heal the soul of the nation, he needs to start looking at ways to bridge the gap between the Left and the Right.  This means he will have to moderate his tone and come back to the center.  On the campaign trail, it is common for politicians to appeal to their base and lean more towards the extreme position.  Once elected, however, it is common for them to swing towards the center so as to have a productive presidency that pleases all citizens.  Biden is still going to try to appease his voter base by placing emphasis on issues like immigration and the environment, issues that were not addressed in a manner liked by the Left under the Trump Administration.  Therefore, Biden will stand out differently on these matters.  He has already picked a diverse Cabinet that will bring new ideas to the issues, and his first 100 days promise to be packed full of opportunities to keep his promises to the Americans who voted for him and even to those who didn’t.