The first seven-ish weeks of 2021 were filled with so many historic events, including an attack on the U.S. Capitol, the impeachment trial of Donald Trump, and the inauguration of President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris. President Biden’s first few weeks in office have been characterized by new policies and executive orders that may affect your life directly or indirectly. Here’s a list of just some of the historic things that Joe Biden has done since being in office!
- Rejoining the Paris Climate Agreement
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The Paris Climate Agreement is an accord signed by almost all countries with the hope of reducing emissions and reducing the incredibly harmful impacts that climate change has on our earth and our health. Biden has vowed that rejoining the agreement that Trump opposed will be backed by legislation to improve the health of our planet. The United States is the second-largest producer of CO2 in the world, and rejoining the Paris Agreement is one of the most significant steps towards mitigating climate change the country has seen in a long time.
- Cancelling the Muslim Travel Ban
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In 2017, Trump placed bans on individuals from many Muslim-majority countries attempting to enter the United States. Tens of thousands of people with valid visas and travel documentation from countries including Syria, Sudan, and Libya were suddenly denied entrance to the U.S. Joe Biden denounced these bans from his first day in office, and has made plans to end these bans and reunite friends and families as soon as possible.
- Repealed Laws that Allowed LGBTQ+ Discrimination in the Military and Workplace
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In 2019, Trump pushed for a ban on transgender individuals in the military. Now, a new executive order states that no individual will be denied the opportunity to enlist in the military based on their gender identity. Biden has also shown support for the passing of the Equality Act, which is a bill that grants protection to all members of the LGBTQ+ community in all areas of life, including education, healthcare, and affordable housing. There is currently an enormous number of discriminatory policies and regulations that hurt LGBTQ+ individuals, and Biden has shown that increasing equality for these individuals is a high priority.
- Cancelling Construction of the Mexico-United States Border Wall
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Many people remember that Trump ran his 2016 presidential campaign on the promise of a United States/Mexico border – that Mexico would pay for. In an official proclamation, the White House ordered the immediate stop of construction of this wall. The future of the already-existing border wall is uncertain, but the symbol of division between the two countries will no longer continue to be built.
- Purchasing Enough COVID-19 Vaccines for the Entire Country
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COVID-19 vaccines, developed by Pfizer and Moderna, have been distributed to high-risk individuals and medical professionals since last year, but less than 5% of the country has received both doses. On February 11th, however, Biden announced that he purchased 200 million additional doses that will be distributed to any individual who wants them by the summer.
This is not at all an exhaustive list of every executive order Biden has passed. As the weeks and months go on, many more orders surrounding the pandemic, immigration, public health, and other areas of concern will be addressed.