Change in President, Change in Policy 

“I thought there’s no time to wait. Get to work immediately,” [President Biden] said. 

Joseph Robinette Biden, Jr. was inaugurated as the 46th President of the United States on January 20th, 2021. During his time in office since then, President Biden and his administration have made changes to numerous policies surrounding COVID-19, social justice, foreign policy, and climate change. 

President Biden repeatedly underscored the urgency of acting on the COVID-19 pandemic during his presidential campaign. To that end, the Biden Administration has moved to rejoin the World Health Organization (WHO) and has enforced a mask mandate on all federal property. President Biden also has decided to continue the pause on student loans due to the financial trouble caused by the pandemic.

In addition, the Biden administration has issued the American Rescue Plan, which it states is meant to provide needed aid during the “dark winter of the pandemic.” The White House press release describes the plan as “an aggressive, two-step plan for rescue…from the depths of this crisis.” The plan includes economic relief, a national vaccine program, reopening schools, and supporting struggling communities. 

Biden’s administration has also issued policy on social justice and immigration policies. President Biden strengthened anti-discrimination workplace acts to protect the rights of LGBTQIA+ individuals. His administration now allows non-US Citizens to be counted in the census and immediately stopped border wall construction. He also ended the travel ban to 7 Muslim-majority countries that Former President Donald Trump enacted in 2017: Syria, Iran, Iraq, Sudan, Libya, Somalia and Yemen.

Finally, President Biden has made strides towards a campaign promise of environmental action by starting the process of rejoining the Paris Climate Agreement, ending the Keystone XL pipeline, and revoking oil and gas development at national wildlife monuments.