Joe Biden has now served a year as US President, so how’s it going?
I’m massively interested in American politics and regularly attend relevant courses and lectures – currently online – provided by London’s City Literary Institute and delivered by the college principal Mark Malcolmson. Today marks the first anniversary of Joe Biden’s tenure as U S President and this evening’s lecture reviewed the events of the last year and the prospects for this year.
Let’s start with Biden’s achievements.
Above all, he has restored stability and dignity to the White House. In the face of the pandemic, he achieved a rapid roll-out of vaccines and a substantial revival of the economy with the passage of a huge stimulus bill. Also vital to the economic health of the nation, he has won Congressional support for a massive infrastructure bill. Employment levels are high.
Internationally, Biden has recognised the climate emergency and taken the US back into the Paris climate treaty. He has ended US troop deployment in Afghanistan, reopened talks with Iran on the nuclear deal, and stood firm in defence of Ukraine and Taiwan.
But there have been many disappointments.
The manner in which the US left Afghanistan was disastrous and marked a major fall in his popularity ratings which are now very low. While his approach to the pandemic has been so much more active than that of Trump. testing for covid has been inadequate and infections have hit a record high. While the economy is doing well, inflation has soared and people are worried about the cost of living.
His legislative agenda in Congress is now stalled with his Build Back Better Bill and Voting Rights Bill both blocked. The fundamental problem for Biden is that Democrats have a very small majority in the House and are tied in the Senate with two Democratic Senators refusing to support some of his legislative proposals and to restrict use of the filibuster.
Things are not looking good for Biden and the Democrats for the mid-term elections in November when Republicans could take back control of both chambers.
Thea again Donald Trump has his own problems. The House inquiry into the insurrection of 6 January 2021 could yet lead to him being barred from future office, while the New York Attorney General is closing in on the financial irregularities at the Trump Organisation.
January 23rd, 2022 at 3:34 pm
As is often the case Roger, our views differ.
The chaos of the US response to the pandemic is a big issue and partly the responsibility of the Federal government. The ongoing increases in oil prices will nix US green energy in favor of shale, coal and hydrocarbons.This is partly due to sanctions on major suppliers and allowing the Saudis and other allies to continue with their cartel. It is suspicious that the Ukraine war crisis is trumpeted and is a diversion, from inflation and poverty.
January 23rd, 2022 at 5:28 pm
Hi Roger
Here in Texas we are really disappointed with Biden so far and even more so with VP Harris. I think we expected more from them.
Gary