Joe Biden 2021: Biden faces ‘huge challenges’ in office as he looks to fix 5 key issues
Joe Biden: President-elect receives Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine
Joe Biden is expected to be sworn in as the 46th President of the United States next month. In keeping with tradition, the inauguration will be held in front of the US Capitol building in Washington DC. Mr Biden will be required to take an inaugural oath before assuming his presidential duties. But while people are inevitably looking forward to a fresh start with the Presidency following Donald Trump’s highly controversial performance over the last four years, Mr Biden certainly faces a number of challenges upon entering the White House.
Coronavirus pandemic
According to Professor of International Relations and US Politics at London’s Metropolitan University, Dr Andrew Moran says President Biden will first look at the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
Speaking to Express.co.uk, Professor Moran said: “From day one, President Biden will have a very full tray.
“His priority will be tackling the pandemic, in particular constructing a coordinated, national response, working with both national and local leaders – something that has been missing under the Trump administration.”
Mr Biden’s first point of action will likely be to ensure the vaccine is rolled out to the American people as quickly as possible.
Professor Moran says the biggest difference between the President-elect and his soon-to-be predecessor is that Biden will “trust the science and has made it clear on his first day in office America will re-join the World Health Organization”.
In addition, Mr Biden’s likely to make changes to the economy, with Mr Moran explaining: “His second priority will be to ensure that the American economy recovers from the damage the pandemic has brought, and that those hit the hardest will have some degree of support from the state.”
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Domestic policy
Mr Biden will likely have a mix of priorities ranging from foreign to domestic policy in the United States.
Professor Moran said: “Domestically, he has a wide ranging and ambitious agenda that will focus on healthcare, education, racial justice and the environment.
“Some of this can be achieved quickly by reversing President Trump’s Executive Orders – such as reversing his relaxation of environmental legislation.”
Mr Biden will not need the approval of Congress to reverse the orders made by the exiting President.
Professor Moran explained the most important thing Mr Biden is likely to do in terms of foreign policy is to reintroduce the US to the Paris Climate Accords of 2015, which Mr Trump controversially left.
Immigration
On Mr Biden’s possible immigration policies, Professor Moran explained: “On immigration, he has proposed more than a dozen initiatives to be achieved within 100 days of taking office.
“For example, on his first day he intends to cancel the controversial ban on people travelling on immigration to the US from some Muslim majority countries.
“He will bring an end to the separation of children from their families at the Mexican border, and he has pledged to produce comprehensive immigration legislation that will create a route to citizenship for 11 million immigrants living illegally in the USA.”
However, interestingly, President-elect Biden has not yet promised to tear down the wall between the US and Mexico erected by Mr Trump, but Professor Moran said Mr Biden “will stop any further funding”.
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Police
The killing of George Floyd in the US this year really brought a number of racial tensions and issues to light once again.
Professor Moran said Mr Floyd’s public killings and the racially charged protests which followed likely means policing will be very high on Mr Biden’s list.
He explained: “Police reform will be high on the agenda, with Biden proposing a national police oversight commission to address what he sees as ‘institutional racism’.
“He has also called for increased investment in community policing as part of a major overhaul of policing policy, which will be supplemented with measures to tackle prison reform and crime prevention.”
Foreign policy
With regards to foreign policy, it’s evident Mr Biden will look to distance himself form the disruptive, brash ‘America first’ policies of Mr Trump.
Mr Moran said: “Instead, he will seek to rebuild the damaged relationships America has had with its traditional allies during the Trump years.
“On the campaign trail, Biden announced ‘Day 1, if I win, I’m going to be on the phone with our NATO allies saying ‘we’re back. We’re back and you can count on us again’.”
This is a message Mr Biden will have for several parts of the world as he looks to adopt a more traditional foreign policy approach, working alongside international institutions founded on democratic ideas to challenge the growing, global threat of far-right Authoritarian regimes.
No matter the outcome of the President’s first term, Professor Moran concluded: “The challenges are huge. And who knows what Trump will do in his remaining days.”
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