The Biden Harris administration has started with strong and good steps to address the COVID-19 pandemic and provide significant economic relief with fiscal stimulus to the economy and families; and signaling important priorities such as redressing climate change and pursuing comprehensive immigration reform, providing a path to citizenship for millions of hard working undocumented immigrants. In the global scene, the return to the Paris Agreement, the WHO and the reconnection of our diplomacy with multilateralism and true American values, human rights and democratic norms.
Much controversy started to surface from certain conservative commentators criticizing the amount of Executive Orders issued by President Biden, citing out of context statements he made during the campaign about Executive Orders being an abuse of power by Dictators. Not true. What Biden said, and very relevant in the current scenario, is that he would never step into the exclusive powers of Congress trough Executive Orders, specifically indicating he could not change our tax laws without an Act of Congress. But Executive Orders have a place in our legal system within the confines of presidential powers executed according to the Constitution and Laws. President Biden addressed promptly the criticisms against his first initial 30 Executive orders: “I am not making law, I am just reversing bad policy”. Indeed, thanks to this executive action reversing some of Trump’s horrific (and in many instances illegal) Executive Orders, we are back in leading the charge to redress climate change, strengthen our asylum protections, end discrimination against transgender officers in our military or properly use the power and resources of the federal government to ensure a proper response to the coronavirus pandemic led by science and experts; or provide clear incentives to the domestic sector economy by introducing a “Buy American” mandate in government procurement, including the order to renew federal fleets with electric vehicles produced by our nation’s automobile manufacturers.
Another highlight of the tone and statesmanship that has returned to the White House was that the President chose to hold his first meeting with Congressional leaders with a group of Republicans leaders in the Senate, in a call to work with the Democrat majority to pass his comprehensive $1.9 trillion COVID-19 response and economic relief package. President Biden’s brand is associated with building unity and consensus. He did it for many years as a Senator; he was that person reaching out during his mandate as Vicepresident in the Obama presidency; it was the signature of his presidential campaign to build a broad coalition; and we are now seeing him in action as POTUS.
We can say without hesitation that America is Back, after the unfortunate and terrible seditious assault on our nations Capitol. These are hopeful times.