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 Official portrait, 2021 | |
| Presidency of Joe Biden January 20, 2021 – January 20, 2025 | |
Vice President | |
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| Cabinet | Full list |
| Party | Democratic |
| Election | 2020 |
| Seat | White House |
← Donald Trump (I) Donald Trump (II) → | |
| Archived website Library website | |
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Personal U.S. Senator from Delaware 47th Vice President of the United States Vice presidential campaigns 46th President of the United States Tenure   | ||
Joe Biden's tenure as the46th president of the United States began withhis inauguration on January 20, 2021, and ended on January 20, 2025. Biden, member of theDemocratic Party,had previously served as the 47thvice president from 2009 to 2017 under PresidentBarack Obama, took office after defeating theRepublican incumbent presidentDonald Trump in the2020 presidential election. Upon his inauguration, he became theoldest president in American history, breaking the record set byRonald Reagan.[1] Alongside Biden's presidency, the Democratic Party also held their majorities in theHouse of Representatives and theSenate during the117th U.S. Congress following the2020 elections, attained an overall federalgovernment trifecta. Biden entered office amid theCOVID-19 pandemic, aneconomic crisis, and increasedpolitical polarization.[2]
Day one actions of his presidency included restoring U.S. participation in theParis Agreement, revoking the permit for theKeystone XL pipeline and halting funding for theMexico–United States border wall.[3] On his second day, he issued a series of executive orders to reduce the impact ofCOVID-19, including invoking theDefense Production Act of 1950, and set an early goal of achieving one hundred millionCOVID-19 vaccinations in the United States in his first 100 days.[4] The first major legislation signed into law by Biden was theAmerican Rescue Plan Act of 2021, a $1.9 trillionstimulus bill that temporarily established expanded unemployment insurance and sent $1,400 stimulus checks to most Americans in response to continued economic pressure from COVID-19.[5] He signed the bipartisanInfrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, a ten-year plan brokered by Biden alongside Democrats and Republicans in Congress to invest in American roads, bridges, public transit, ports and broadband access.[6]
Biden proposed a significant expansion of the U.S. social safety net through theBuild Back Better Act, but those efforts, along withvoting rights legislation, failed in Congress. In August 2022, Biden signed theInflation Reduction Act of 2022, a domestic appropriations bill that included some of the provisions of the Build Back Better Act after the entire bill failed to pass. It included significant federal investment in climate and domestic clean energy production, tax credits for solar panels, electric cars and other home energy programs as well as a three-year extension ofAffordable Care Act subsidies, aninsulin price cap, and a provision allowingMedicare to negotiate drug prices. In late 2022, Biden signed theRespect for Marriage Act, which repealed theDefense of Marriage Act and codifiedsame-sex andinterracial marriage in the United States. Other domestic legislation signed during his term included theBipartisan Safer Communities Act, the first major federal gun control law in nearly three decades;[7] theCHIPS and Science Act, bolstering thesemiconductor and manufacturing industry; theHonoring our PACT Act, expanding health care for US veterans; theElectoral Count Reform and Presidential Transition Improvement Act; and theJuneteenth National Independence Day Act, making Juneteenth afederal holiday in the United States. Biden also unsuccessfully pushed for legislation protecting the right toabortion in response to theU.S. Supreme Court’s decision inDobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization overturningRoe v. Wade.[8]
Biden appointedKetanji Brown Jackson to theU.S. Supreme Court—the firstBlack woman to serve on the court. In response to thedebt-ceiling crisis of 2023, he negotiated and signed theFiscal Responsibility Act of 2023, which restrains federal spending for fiscal years 2024 and 2025, implements minor changes toSNAP andTANF, includes energy permitting reform, claws back someIRS funding and unspent money forCOVID-19, and suspended thedebt ceiling to January 1, 2025.[9] He established theAmerican Climate Corps and created the first everWhite House Office of Gun Violence Prevention. On September 26, 2023, Biden visited aUnited Auto Workers picket line during the2023 United Auto Workers strike, making him the first US president to visit one. Biden also rigorously enforced antitrust laws by appointingLina Khan to head theFTC.[10] Biden issued more individual pardons and commutations than any other president,[11] including controversial sweeping pardons of members of his family and high profile political figures that he claimed were either presently or expected to be the subject of "baseless and politically motivated investigations."[12][13][14] The first sitting U.S. President to oppose thedeath penalty, Biden commuted the sentences of nearly all inmates on federal death row tolife imprisonment weeks before leaving office.[15]
The foreign policy goal of the Biden administration was to restore the U.S. to a "position of trusted leadership" among globaldemocracies in order to address the challenges posed byRussia andChina. Biden signedAUKUS, an international security alliance together withAustralia and theUnited Kingdom. He supported the expansion ofNATO with the additions ofFinland andSweden. Biden approved a raid which led to the death ofAbu Ibrahim al-Hashimi al-Qurashi, the leader of theIslamic State, and approved a drone strike whichkilled Ayman Al Zawahiri, leader of Al-Qaeda. He completed thewithdrawal of U.S. military forces from Afghanistan, declaring an end tonation-building efforts and shifting U.S. foreign policy toward strategic competition with China and, to a lesser extent, Russia.[16][17][18] During the withdrawal, theAfghan government collapsed and the Taliban seized control, leading to Biden receiving bipartisan criticism. He responded to theRussian invasion of Ukraine by imposingsanctions on Russia and providing Ukraine with over $100 billion incombined military, economic, and humanitarian aid.[19][20] During theGaza war, Biden condemned the actions ofHamas and other Palestinian militants as terrorism, and announcedAmerican military support forIsrael; he also sent humanitarian aid to theGaza Strip and brokered afour-day temporary pause and hostage exchange in 2023 followed by athree-phase ceasefire in January 2025. Biden negotiated and oversaw the2024 Ankara prisoner exchange, the largestprisoner exchange since the end of theCold War, involving the release of 26 individuals, including American journalistEvan Gershkovich and former U.S. MarinePaul Whelan.
Biden began his term with over 50% approval ratings; these fell significantly after the withdrawal from Afghanistan,[21] and remained low as the country experienced high inflation and rising gas prices, even as they later decreased during his presidency.[22][23] Hisage and mental fitness were a frequent subject of discussion throughout his presidency,[24] ultimately culminating in his decision towithdraw his bid for a second term in the2024 U.S. presidential election.[25] Trump won the election against Biden's preferred successor,Kamala Harris, making him the second U.S. president to be succeeded in office by his predecessor.[a] Biden oversaw the strongest economic recovery of anyG7 nation post COVID-19 and one of the strongest economic recoveries in United States history, breaking a 70-year record for low unemployment,[26] and the creation of over 16 million new jobs, the most of any single term president.[27] During Biden's time in office, medianwages stagnated,[28] and the share ofwealth of the wealthiest 0.1% of Americans continued to increase.[29] Although political scientists and historians haverated Biden's presidency favorably,[30] his political legacy is interwoven with the re-election of Trump in 2024.[31]
Biden, who unsuccessfully sought the Democratic nomination in1988 and2008, and laterserved as the 47thvice president of the United States under PresidentBarack Obama from 2009 to 2017, announcedhis candidacy for thenomination of theDemocratic Party in the2020 presidential election on April 25, 2019. In June 2020, Biden secured the Democratic nomination.Biden selected SenatorKamala Harris of California as hisrunning mate, and the two were officially nominated at the2020 Democratic National Convention.
On November 7, four days after the election, Biden was projected to have secured the presidency. Biden won thepresidential election with 306 electoral votes, whileDonald Trump received 232.[32][33][34][35][36] TheTrump campaign launched at least63 lawsuits against the results,[37] especially in the battleground states ofArizona,Georgia,Michigan,Nevada,Pennsylvania, andWisconsin, raising unsubstantiated claims of widespread voter fraud that were subsequently dismissed by courts.[38][39] Theelectoral votes were certified on January 6–7, 2021. In the concurrentcongressional elections, Democrats retained a reduced majority in theHouse of Representatives and narrowly took control of theSenate, leaving the partisan balance in the Senate at 50 Democrats and 50 Republicans, with vice presidentKamala Harris' tie-breaking vote giving Democrats control of the chamber.
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Though Biden was generally acknowledged as the winner,[33][34][35][36]General Services Administration headEmily W. Murphy initially refused to begin the transition to the president-elect, thereby denying funds and office space to his team.[40][41] On November 23, after Michigan certified its results, Murphy issued the letter of ascertainment, granting the Biden transition team access to federal funds and resources for an orderly transition.[42]
Two days after becoming the projected winner of the 2020 election, Biden announced the formation of a task force to advise him on the COVID-19 pandemic during the transition, co-chaired by formerSurgeon GeneralVivek Murthy, former FDA commissionerDavid A. Kessler, and Yale University'sMarcella Nunez-Smith.[43]
On January 5, 2021, theDemocratic Party won control of theUnited States Senate, effective January 20, as a result of electoral victories inGeorgia byJon Ossoff in arunoff election for a six-year term andRaphael Warnock in aspecial runoff election for a two-year term.[44][45] President-elect Biden had supported and campaigned for both candidates prior to therunoff elections on January 5.[46][47]
On January 6, a mob of thousands of Trump supportersviolently stormed the Capitol in the hope of overturning Biden's election, forcing Congress to evacuate during thecounting of the Electoral College votes.[48][49] More than 26,000 National Guard members were deployed to the capital for the inauguration, with thousands remaining into the spring.[50]
On January 20, 2021,Biden was sworn in byU.S. Chief JusticeJohn Roberts as the 46thpresident of the United States, completing theoath of office at 11:49 am EST, 11 minutes before the legal start of his term at 12:00 pm, EST.[51][52]
Biden's inaugural speech laid out his vision to unite the nation, prefaced by the various impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic,economic strife,climate change,political polarization, andracial injustice.[53] Biden called for an end to the "uncivil war" of political, demographic, and ideological American cultures through a greater embrace of diversity.[54] He cited theAmerican Civil War,Great Depression,world wars, andSeptember 11 attacks as moments in American history where citizens' "better angels" prevailed, saying that the unity, the solution, must again be invoked to rise from the "cascading" crises of the present; this unity, he proclaimed, exists in the "common objects" that define America: "opportunity, liberty, dignity, respect, honor, and ... truth."[55][56] He explicitly decriedwhite supremacy andnativism, calling them an "ugly reality" of American life he vows to defeat that clouds the "American ideal" set out in theU.S. Declaration of Independence — thatall Americans are equal.[54][56][57] Biden pledged that the U.S. would "engage with the world once again", "repair our alliances", and act as a "trusted partner for peace and security".[58] Near the conclusion of his speech, Biden held a moment of silence for those who died in the COVID-19 pandemic.[55] Quoting theGene Scheer composition "American Anthem",[59] he implored Americans to consider their legacy in answering the "call of history" to protect "democracy, hope, truth, and justice", "secure liberty", and make America a "beacon to the world", insisting that generations of their descendants would judge them on their actions.[55]
Biden was inaugurated alongsideKamala Harris, the first woman, firstAfrican American, and firstAsian American vice president.[60]
On November 11, 2020, Biden selectedRon Klain, who served as his vice presidential chief of staff, to serve as hisWhite House chief of staff.[61] Biden choseJen Psaki, deputyWhite House press secretary andU.S. Department of State spokesperson during thepresidency of Barack Obama, as his White House press secretary. Psaki announced, and has held, daily press briefings for White House reporters. On March 25, 2021, Biden held his first solo press conference after 64 days in office,[62] unlike his most recent predecessors (back toHerbert Hoover in 1929), who all held their first solo press conferences within 33 days of taking office.[63][64]
On November 17, 2020, Biden announced that he had selectedMike Donilon as senior advisor andSteve Ricchetti as counselor.[65]Jen O'Malley Dillon, who had served as campaign manager for Biden's successful presidential campaign, was named as deputy chief of staff.[66]
Biden selectedAntony Blinken to be secretary of state,Linda Thomas-Greenfield as ambassador to the United Nations, andJake Sullivan as national security advisor.[67][68]
On November 23, 2020, Biden announced Alejandro Mayorkas to be his choice forSecretary of Homeland Security andAvril Haines asDirector of National Intelligence.[69] Throughout December and January, Biden continued to select cabinet members, includingMarty Walsh, the then current mayor of Boston, as hisSecretary of Labor.[70][71]
Biden altered his cabinet structure, elevating the chair of theCouncil of Economic Advisers, director of theOffice of Science and Technology Policy, andambassador to the United Nations as cabinet-level positions.[72][73][74] Biden removed thedirector of the Central Intelligence Agency from his official cabinet at the onset of his presidency, but he restored it to thecabinet in 2023.[75][76]
While administering the oath of office to hundreds of White House officials throughvideo conferencing, Biden called for morecivility in politics, saying: "If you ever work with me and I hear you treat another colleague with disrespect, talk down to someone, I promise you I will fire you on the spot. ... No ifs, ands, or buts."[77]
Of theArticle III judges nominated by Biden, 235 of them were confirmed by theUnited States Senate, including: oneassociate justice of the Supreme Court of the United States, 45 judges for theUnited States courts of appeals, 187 judges for theUnited States district courts and two judges for theUnited States Court of International Trade. Biden appointed the mostfederal judges during the first two years of any presidency sinceJohn F. Kennedy.[78]
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Biden strongly campaigned for the presidency on thepublic option, a policy that, if enacted into law, would have offered Americans a choice between maintaining their private healthcare insurance or buying into Medicare. The idea was viewed as a compromise between the progressive and moderate flanks of theDemocratic Party. The Biden campaign described the public option as a "plan to protect and build onObamaCare".[92]
However, shortly before taking office in January 2021, Biden's team abruptly dropped the proposal, frustrating many online progressives who already viewed the public option healthcare proposal as a failure to fight the status quo.[93]
The Biden administration rescinded work requirements forMedicaid recipients.[94] The administration opened a special enrollment period for theAffordable Care Act as well as extending the normal enrollment period, citing the COVID-19 pandemic.[95][96] The administration provided larger premium subsidies.[97]
In August 2022, President Biden signed into law theInflation Reduction Act of 2022. The law allocates $64 billion[98] for a three-year expansion of Affordable Care Act subsidies originally expanded under theAmerican Rescue Plan Act of 2021 and $265 billion[citation needed] for prescription drug price reform to lower prices, including providing Medicare the authority to negotiate the prices for certain drugs with pharmaceutical companies.[99]
That same month, Biden signed into law theHonoring our PACT Act of 2022, which expands federal health care access, services, and funding for veterans who were exposed to toxic substances during their service, including toxic smoke fromburn pits.[100]
Drug overdoses killed 106,699 in the United States in 2021.[101] Opioids were involved in 80,411overdose deaths in 2021, up from around 10,000 in 1999.[102]
In June 2023, U.S. federal prosecutors announced criminal indictments offentanyl precursor producers in China.[103] In October 2023,OFAC sanctioned a China-based network of fentanyl manufacturers and distributors.[104][105] In 2023, the Biden administration announced a crackdown onMexican drug cartels smuggling fentanyl into the United States.[106]
Rahul Gupta led White House efforts to combat theopioid epidemic.[107]
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On January 20, 2021, his first day as president, Biden implemented afederal mask mandate, requiring the use of masks and social distancing in all federal buildings, on federal lands, and by federal employees and contractors.[108][109][3] Biden also signed anexecutive order that reversed the withdrawal of the U.S. from theWorld Health Organization (WHO), making Dr.Anthony Fauci the head of the delegation to the WHO.[109] On January 21, the administration released a 200-page document titled "National Strategy for the COVID-19 Response and Pandemic Preparedness".[110][111] That same day, Biden invoked theDefense Production Act to speed up the vaccination process and ensure the availability of glass vials, syringes, and other vaccine supplies at the federal level.[112][113] In justifying his use of the act, Biden said: "And when I say wartime, people kind of look at me like 'wartime?' Well, as I said last night, 400,000 Americans have died. That's more than have died in all of World War II. 400,000. This is a wartime undertaking."[114] Biden established theWhite House COVID-19 Response Team, aWhite House Office dedicated to coordinating a unified federal government response.[115]
According to a report byReuters, in mid-2021 the Biden administration ended a military-runpropaganda campaign to spread disinformation about theSinovac Chinese COVID-19 vaccine which had begun in 2020 during the Trump administration.[116] The campaign was described as "payback" forCOVID-19 disinformation by China directed against the U.S.[117] Primarily targeting people in thePhilippines, the campaign used fake social media accounts to spread disinformation, including that the Sinovac vaccine contained pork-derived ingredients and was thereforeharam underIslamic law.[116]
On January 21, 2021, Biden signed ten executive orders pertaining to the COVID-19 pandemic.[118] In order to meet his vaccination goal of a hundred million shots in his first 100 days in office, Biden signed an executive order increasing needed supplies.[4][119] Biden signed an order on January 21 that directedFEMA to offer full reimbursements to states for the cost of using their own National Guard personnel and emergency supplies such asPersonal Protective Equipment in schools.[4][120] On January 24, 2021, Biden reinstated a travel ban imposed by President Trump onBrazil,United Kingdom,Ireland,South Africa, and 26 other European countries.[121][122][123] The travel ban prevents non-U.S. citizens living in the prospective countries from entering the U.S.[124] Biden implemented a face mask requirement on nearly all forms of public transportation and inside of transportation hubs; previously, theCenters for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) had recommended that such a policy be enacted but it was blocked by the Trump administration, under which the CDC issued strong, albeit non-binding recommendations for mask use in these settings.[125]
In mid-March 2021, Biden dismissed a request by theEuropean Union to export unused COVID-19 vaccines fromAstraZeneca out of the U.S. even though the manufacturer endorsed it and vowed to resupply the doses. The rationale for this decision, which contributed to low European vaccination rates, was that the U.S. had to be "over-supplied and over-prepared", according to White House press secretaryJen Psaki.[126] Whereas the U.S. exported no vaccines, the European Union exported 77 million doses to the world from December 2020 to March 2021.[127] Eventually, the U.S. reversed course and gave vaccine doses from AstraZeneca to Mexico, Canada, and Japan by the end of March.[128]
On May 6, 2021, the Biden administration announced that it supports waiving patent protections on existing COVID-19 vaccines so that other countries can produce generic variants, after weeks of pressure from the international community.[129] On May 7, French presidentEmmanuel Macron called on the U.S. "to put an end to export bans not only on vaccines but on vaccine ingredients, which prevent production."[130]
On May 26, 2021, Biden orderedU.S. intelligence agencies to increase theirinvestigations into the origin of the virus, after reports that researchers at theWuhan Institute of Virology became ill a month before the pandemic began.[131]
In July 2021, amid a slowing ofthe COVID-19 vaccination rate in the country and the spread of theSARS-CoV-2 Delta variant, Biden said that the U.S. has "a pandemic for those who haven't gotten the vaccination" and that it was therefore "gigantically important" for Americans to be vaccinated, touting the vaccines' effectiveness against hospitalizations and deaths from COVID-19.[132] He also criticized the prevalence ofCOVID-19 misinformation on social media, saying it was "killing people".[133]
Despite months of vaccine availability and incentives, by September many Americans continued toresist vaccination amid rising cases in several states, hampering prospects towardsherd immunity. On September 9, Biden stated, "We've been patient. But our patience is wearing thin, and your refusal has cost all of us." That day he issued an executive order directing businesses with more than 100 employees to require vaccination of their workers or weekly testing, affecting about 80 million Americans. The order also required the roughly 17 million employees of health facilities receiving federal Medicare or Medicaid to be vaccinated.[134] Many Republicans asserted Biden's order was an unconstitutional overreach of federal authority, and some Republican governors said they would sue to block it.[135]
The Biden administration responded to the global spread of theSARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant in December 2021 by advocating response by the states instead of the federal government.[136] Throughout the surge, the Biden administration has been criticized for a lack ofCOVID-19 tests, exacerbating the spread of the Omicron variant. When questioned about the apparent shortage of tests,Jen Psaki replied, "Should we just send one to every American? Then what happens if every American has one test? How much does that cost and what happens after that?",[137] causing backlash.[138] The Biden administration responded by promising an increased supply of at-home tests later in 2022.[139]
In the midst of an all-time high of new COVID-19 cases,[140] theCenters for Disease Control revised their guidelines, recommending five days of quarantine rather than ten without requiring a negative COVID-19 test.[141] This move was criticized by health experts who worry that withoutrapid testing, COVID-positive people may unknowingly spread COVID-19 in workplaces under the recommended CDC guidelines. Others criticize the CDC for implementing this change after lobbying byDelta Air Lines, leading to social media backlash against the federal government.[142]
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Biden gave a speech at theJohn F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum on September 12, 2022, the 60th anniversary of Kennedy'sWe Choose to Go to the Moon speech, promoting his administration's revival of theBeau Biden Cancer Moonshot, including the newAdvanced Research Projects Agency for Health.[143]
The New Republic praised Biden's economic record in July 2024, highlighting record low unemployment leading to a growth in wages at the lower end of the wage distribution as workers had more bargaining power. However, overallreal median full-time wages stagnated throughout his time in office.[28] The wealthiest 0.1% of Americans further expanded their share ofhousehold wealth from 13.2% to 13.8%,[29] continuing the trend of the previous decades.[144] While inflation was painful, it has returned near its pre-pandemic rate and was similar to peer countries, though the U.S. economy has grown faster than its peers.[145] The expansion of theAffordable Care Act, thechild tax credit, $1400stimulus checks, and the expansion ofSNAP benefits boosted balance sheets for low and middle-income Americans.[145] New business formation rose 30% from pre-pandemic levels, and was notably strong among women.[145] Biden also signed three major pieces of longer-term economic legislation to repair infrastructure like roads, bridges and water pipes, boostsemiconductor investment, and expand green energy.[145]
In February 2024, the totalfederal government debt grew to $34.4 trillion after having grown by approximately $1 trillion in both of two separate 100-day periods since the previous June.[146]
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TheBuild Back Better Plan was a proposed framework of public investment in social, infrastructural, and environmental programs. It was eventually divided into three parts. The American Rescue Plan was focused onCOVID-19 pandemic relief, and was passed and signed into law in March 2021 as theAmerican Rescue Plan Act of 2021. The second part called for investment in infrastructure and addressingclimate change, and was called the American Jobs Plan. Elements of the American Jobs Plan were the basis for theInfrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, signed into law in November 2021. The third part, the American Families Plan, proposed investment in social policies, such as paidparental leave. The American Families Plan was merged with elements of the American Jobs Plan to form theBuild Back Better Act, introduced in September 2021. This passed theHouse of Representatives, but failed to pass theSenate. Continued negotiations led to a new proposal, theInflation Reduction Act of 2022 which included proposals addressing climate change, healthcare, and tax reform proposals while excluding Build Back Better's social safety net proposals. This was passed and signed into law in August 2022.
The administration also pursued lower drug prices by allowing Medicare to negotiate the prices it pays and capping the price ofinsulin.[145]
In 2024, Biden pushed to limitjunk fees through the FTC,FCC andCFPB.[147]
Biden took antitrust more seriously than presidents in recent memory, as seen by the work ofLina Khan at theFTC,[145] a historic court victoryagainst Google's search monopoly, and alawsuit to break-upLive Nation andTicketmaster.[147]
On January 14, 2021, Biden revealed a $1.9 trillionstimulus bill, the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021.[148] The plan includes $1 trillion in direct aid, including $1,400 per-person checks, for working Americans, and would provide for direct housing and nutrition assistance, expanding access to safe and reliable childcare and affordable healthcare, increasing the minimum wage, extending unemployment insurance, and giving families with kids and childless workers an emergency boost this year.[149][150] It would also expand the eligibility of these checks to adult dependents who have been left out of previous rounds of relief.[149][150][148] The plan additionally includes $440 billion in community support, providing $350 billion of community support to first responders while the rest goes to grants for small businesses and transit agencies; $400 billion for a national vaccination plan and school reopenings; and $10 billion for information technology, modernizing federal cybersecurity infrastructure.[148][150] In her first press briefing, press secretary Psaki said the plan was likely to change as negotiations continued, with the provision to increase the minimum wage later being excluded from the relief plan.[151] Biden signed the Plan into law on March 11, 2021, passing through both chambers of Congress with aparty-line vote.[152][153]
The plan invokes theDefense Production Act of 1950 to ensure the production ofpersonal protective equipment, glass vials, syringes, and other supplies exceeds the demand.[149] It allows partners of states to create vaccine centers in stadiums, convention centers and pharmacies.[112] The federal government would identify communities that have been hit hardest by COVID-19, and ensure the vaccine does not reach them at an unfair pace.[150][149][112] In addition, the plan would launch a national campaign to educate Americans about the vaccine and COVID-19, targetingmisinformation related to the pandemic.[112] Vaccines would also be freely available to all citizens regardless of immigration status.[149] In Biden's plan, he would issue a national testing strategy that attempts to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 by increasing laboratory capacity and expanding testing. The plan would also develop new treatments for COVID-19.[149][148][150][112]
On April 28, during Biden's speech to Congress he unveiled the American Families Plan, a roughly $1.8 trillion proposal to significantly increase federal spending in areas related tochildcare,paid leave,pre-kindergarten,community college, andhealthcare.[154][155] It is considered to be the third part of Biden's "Build Back Better" agenda (the first being theAmerican Rescue Plan and the second being theAmerican Jobs Plan).[156] The bill was effectively merged with climate change and other provisions that didn't make it into the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, for a total $3.5 trillionBuild Back Better Act. However, the bill did not have Republican support, and Democrats struggled to win the support of SenatorJoe Manchin of West Virginia to pass it on aparty-line vote throughbudget reconciliation, even as the price was lowered to $2.2 trillion.[157] After the bill ultimately failed to match his envisioned cost, Manchin publicly rejected it, dooming its passage.[158]
On January 22, 2021, Biden signed an executive order that removed schedule F, overturning a number of Trump's policies that limited thecollective bargaining power of federal unions.[159][160] Biden's executive order also promotes a $15minimum wage for federal workers and repeals three of Trump's executive orders which made the employee discipline process stricter and restricted union representatives' access to office space. As well as promoting a $15 minimum wage, Biden's executive order increases the amount of money going to the families of children who are missing meals because of school closures due to the pandemic by 15%.[161] The repealing of Trump's three executive orders comes as the orders were used to transfer civil servants and career scientists and replace them with employees friendly to the Trump administration.[162]
On inauguration day 2021, Biden fired pro-businessPeter Robb, then general counsel of theNational Labor Relations Board,[163] replacing him with pro-unionJennifer Abruzzo in February 2021.[164] Biden's NLRB has pursued action againstStarbucks' andAmazon's alleged anti-union activities.[165] On August 24, 2023, the NLRB reinstatedObama-era policies regarding union elections, speeding up the timeline by removing restrictions such as resolvinglitigation before holding an election.[166]
In late 2022, Biden signed a bill forcing an agreement between union workers and rail companies in order to prevent a strike, earning him criticism from progressives and rail workers.[167][168][169] Afterwards, Biden pressured the rail companies to offerpaid sick leave to workers, which had been a key demand in the original planned strike.[170] More than 60% of rail workers had sick leave agreements in June 2023.[171]
On the2023 United Auto Workers strike, Biden repeated union leaderShawn Fain's motto "record profits, record contracts" and expressed support for the workers in negotiations.[172] Biden assigned two White House officials to aid in negotiation efforts, senior adviserGene Sperling andactingLabor SecretaryJulie Su.[173] On September 26, Biden joined striking UAW workers on thepicket line in Michigan, becoming the first president to do so.[174]
Biden became the first US president to run for election with aunionized campaign staff for his2024 election run.[175]
The Biden administration helped to resolve the2024 United States port strike.[176]
After theCollapse of Silicon Valley Bank in 2023, Biden expressed opposition to abailout that was borne by taxpayers.[177] He also claimed that thepartial roll-back ofDodd-Frank regulations contributed to the bank failures.[178]
Biden signed an executive order intended to support domestic manufacturers by increasing a federal preference for purchasing goods made wholly or partly in the U.S. Using the broad term "Made in America laws", the executive order's stated goal is to strengthen "all statutes, regulations, rules, and Executive Orders relating to Federal financial assistance awards or Federal procurement, including those that refer to 'Buy America' or 'Buy American.'"[179][180]
On August 9, 2022, Biden actively promoted and signed into law theCHIPS and Science Act, which authorized $52 billion for domestic semiconductor research and manufacturing.[181] On August 16, 2022, Biden signed theInflation Reduction Act of 2022 into law, which included provisions to support the domestic production of solar panels, wind turbines, and other infrastructure.[182] Due to incentives from the CHIPS and Science Act,Micron Technology will invest billions in new semiconductor manufacturing inNew York.[183]
The Wall Street Journal reported that instead of negotiating access to Chinese markets for large American financial-service firms and pharmaceutical companies, the Biden administration may focus on trade policies that boost exports or domestic jobs.U.S. Trade RepresentativeKatherine Tai said the administration wants a "worker-centered trade policy".[184][185]U.S. Secretary of CommerceGina Raimondo aggressively enforced trade rules to combat unfair practices by China.[186]
In March 2021, in her first interview since taking office, U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai toldThe Wall Street Journal the U.S. would not lift tariffs on Chinese imports (implemented under the Trump administration as urged byPeter Navarro) in the near future, despite lobbying efforts from "free traders" including formerU.S. Secretary of TreasuryHank Paulson and theBusiness Roundtable, a big-business group in the U.S., that pressed for tariff repeal.[187]
In 2021, the U.S. suspended its diplomatic trade engagement withMyanmar after a rise in violence perpetrated by theBurmese military against anti-coup protesters.[188]
In May 2024, the Biden administration raisedtariffs on Chinese imports, including a doubling forsolar cells; tripling forlithium-ion electric vehicle batteries; and increases for steel, aluminum, and medical equipment. This marks the first time that critical minerals, includingrare earth magnets—key components in electric and hybrid vehicles—have been specifically included in the tariffs.[189] China produces and refines over 90 percent of the world'srare earth material.[190] The tariff increases will be phased in over a period of three years.[191]
As a part of the Build Back Better Plan, the Biden administration aimed for massive spending on the nation's infrastructure on the order of $2 trillion.[192] Several of the physical infrastructure provisions featured in the proposal were included in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. Biden signed the Act into law on November 15, 2021.[193]
This final version included approximately $1.2 trillion in spending, with $550 billion being newly authorized spending on top of whatCongress was planning to authorize regularly.[194] The bill included $7.5 billion for electric vehicle charging.[195] As of March 2024, seven charging stations with a total of 38 spots for charging vehicles had been built.[195]
Longer-term variables that preceded the pandemic and contributed to the rise in inflation include structuralhousing shortages,[196][197][198] impacts of climate change on food, energy and home insurance prices,[199][200][201] as well as the size ofgovernment debt and deficits.[202][203][204]
In the midst of recovery from COVID-19, inflation rose to the highest rate in forty years peaking at 9.1% in 2022, with many other major global economies reaching similar level.[205][206][207][208][209] Biden stated during his firstState of the Union Address on March 1, 2022, that addressing inflation was his "top priority", while touting an anti-inflation plan that he said would address ocean shipping costs and prescription drug prices.[210]
The2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine resulted in increases in food and energy prices.[211][212]
At the end of 2023, theU.S. Census Bureau found that without housing inflation, inflation would have been just 1.8%, instead of 3.2%.[213] Katy O'Donnell ofPolitico argued that housing shortages, caused by artificial scarcity driven byNIMBYism, had been the single-biggest contributor to inflation.[214]Freddie Mac estimated that the housing shortage surged 52% between 2018 and 2020.[213] Between 2020 and 2023climate-change exacerbated home insurance premiums in the U.S. by 33%.[199] July 2024 data showed that inflation had dropped to 2.9%, with rising rents and childcare costs as the main drivers.[215]
Most economists surveyed by theWSJ in July 2024 found that inflation would be worse under a second Trump administration compared to a second Biden term, due in part to tariffs, a crack down on illegal immigration, and larger deficits.[216]
Biden changed the practice ofIRS agents disproportionately auditing lower-income Americans.[217]
Finance officials from 130 countries agreed on July 1, 2021, to plans for a new international taxation policy. All the major economies agreed to pass national laws that would require corporations to pay at least 15% income tax in the countries they operate. This new policy would end the practice of locating world headquarters in small countries with very low taxation rates. Governments hope to recoup some of the lost revenue, estimated at $100 billion to $240 billion each year. The new system was promoted by the Biden administration and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). Secretary-GeneralMathias Cormann of the OECD said: "This historic package will ensure that large multinational companies pay their fair share of tax everywhere."[218]
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During his first week in office, Biden established the position ofWhite House National Climate Advisor, appointingenvironmental health andair quality expertGina McCarthy to the role. Biden also created the position ofU.S. Special Presidential Envoy for Climate, appointing former secretary of stateJohn Kerry.[219]
On January 20, 2021, Biden signed an executive order rejoining the U.S. to theParis Agreement.[220][221] With the U.S. rejoining the agreement, countries responsible for two-thirds of the globalgreenhouse gas emissions would make pledges of becoming carbon neutral, while without United States it is only half.[222] On the same day, Biden also issued an executive order that cancelled the construction of theKeystone XL pipeline, an extension of theKeystone Pipeline. The pipeline was heavily criticized by environmental and Native American activists and groups.[223][224] This order also directed agencies to review and reverse more than 100 actions made by Trump on the environment.[109]
On March 27, 2021, Biden invited more than forty world leaders for a climate summit.[225]
In August 2022, Biden signed theInflation Reduction Act of 2022 into law, a domestic spending bill born out of continued negotiations on the Build Back Better Act after its collapse that fulfilled some of its initial provisions. The bill included significant federal investment in domestic clean energy production, combating climate change, and healthcare; it aims to reduce U.S. carbon emissions by 40% from peak 2005 levels by 2030, included a three-year extension ofAffordable Care Act subsidies, and empowered Medicare to begin negotiating lower prescription drug costs for the first time.[3]
In May 2022, theWhite House Council on Environmental Quality released a report in which it describes how Biden's administration followed the around 200 recommendations of the White House Environmental Justice Advisory Council. The full report has around 150 pages. The report summarizes many of the steps taken by the administration on environmental issues. Among others, it mentions significant achievements in the domains ofenergy efficiency,weatherization,transit-oriented development,walking,cycling,mixed-use development, cooperation withIndigenous peoples of the Americas.[226]
In April 2024 Biden delivered $20 billion to eight environmentalNGOs. The aim is to reduce the country's CO2 emissions by 40 million tonnes per year with the money, while giving 70% of the benefits to low income communities.[227][228] In the same month, theAmerican Climate Corps is expected to begin function with several hundred members. The tasks will probably be "things like installing solar panels, restoring vulnerable habitats, and fire hazard prevention." Biden plans increase the number of participants to 20,000 during the first year and then 50,000 more will be added each year by 2031. However, this plan is opposed by Republicans.[229]
In May 2024, the administration announced guidelines around carbon markets. They push for increased verifiability from suppliers and transparency from buyers. The guidelines are not binding or enforceable.[230]
In November 2024, the Biden administration withheld federal funding fromClimate Justice Alliance, a move which CJA andThe Intercept connected to its support for a ceasefire in Gaza and other progressive policy issues that had made it a target of Republican scrutiny.[231]
On January 21, 2021, the Biden administration issued a 60-day ban on oil and gas leases and permits on federal land and waters.[232] On January 27, 2021, Biden signed a number of executive orders aimed atcombating climate change,[233] one of them setting climate change as a key consideration for U.S. national security and foreign policy.[234] In an attempt to encourage U.S. membership to theKigali Amendment, an international agreement aimed to reduce the production ofhydrofluorocarbons, Biden's executive order directed theU.S. Department of State to submit the Kigali Amendment to the Senate.[235][236]
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In March 2021, 21 Republicanstate attorneys general of 21 states sued the Biden administration for revoking the Keystone XL pipeline permit. The suit claims Biden's executive order exceeded his authority.[237][238]
In May 2021, the EPA rolled back a Trump administration rule that prohibited the EPA from using certain studies.[239][240] The previous rule, which made it more difficult to use major scientific studies to justify pollution reduction policies,[241] had already been invalidated by a federal court.[242]
On June 1, 2021, Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland suspended all oil and gas drilling leases in Alaska's Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, pending further review of their environmental impacts.[243]
In January 2021, Biden had issued a 60-day ban on oil and gas leases and permits on federal land and waters. A group of Republicanstate attorneys general successfully obtained a decision in federal court to lift the moratorium. The Biden administration appealed the decision but agreed to continue with the sales, and in September 2021 held the largest federal gas and oil lease auction in U.S. history, selling leases to extract 1.7 millionacres in the Gulf of Mexico. The areas that were purchased by oil companies can be expected to produce around 4.2 trillion cubic feet of natural gas and 1.12 billion barrels of oil over the next 50 years. The administration has also proposed another round of gas and oil lease sales in 2022, in Colorado, Montana, Wyoming, and other western states.[244][245][246]
The Biden administration supported theLine 3 pipeline, which transports oil from Canada'soil sands region.[247]
In November 2021, a closely watched Interior Department report on federal oil and gas lease policy, ordered by Biden, was completed. The report recommended increasing the 12.5% federal royalty rate for oil and gas drilling, which had not been raised by a century, and was significantly lower than rates charged for leasing on state and private land. The report also recommended an increase in the bond rates that drilling companies are required to pay for future cleanup efforts before beginning extraction at new sites, and recommended that leases be focused on sites with "moderate to high potential" for production in proximity to existing fossil-fuel infrastructure.[246] The report stopped short of banning the leasing program, which generates billions of dollars for the federal government, but reformed its terms to be less favorable for industry; environmental groups praised the reforms, but also said they were insufficient to address the U.S. contribution to theclimate crisis.[246]
In 2021, the Biden administration proposed a 20-year ban on oil and gas drilling aroundChaco Culture National Historical Park, a site in northwestern New Mexico that contain importantAncestral Puebloan sites.[248]
In May 2021, the EPA rolled back a Trump administration rule that prohibited the EPA from using certain studies.[239][240] The previous rule, which made it more difficult to use major scientific studies to justify pollution reduction policies,[241] had already been invalidated by a federal court.[242]
The Biden administration set a goal of achieving 30 gigawatts ofoffshore wind energy generated in the U.S. by 2030 (sufficient to provide electricity to about 10 million homes). In 2021, the Biden administration approved theSouth Fork Wind project, a major (130MW, 12-turbine) commercialoffshore wind power project located southeast ofRhode Island'sBlock Island and east of New York'sMontauk Point, the wind farm is projected to provide electricity to proved 70,000Long Island homes. The project is the country's second large-scale offshore wind project (after asimilar wind-power development in Massachusetts).[249][250]
The U.S. is part of the30 by 30 initiative which aims to preserve 30% of the global land and sea territory by 2030. For the U.S. to accomplish its part, Biden launched a campaign called "America the Beautiful". The campaign seeks to work in cooperation withindigenous people and farmers, as well as better serve disadvantaged communities.[251]
In November 2021, Biden promised to end and reversedeforestation andland degradation by 2030,[252] joining more than 100 other global leaders in theCOP26 climate summit's first major agreement.[253][254]
According to a report from theCenter for American Progress during the first 3 years of his presidency Biden broke several records inconservation, which is "a proven defense against the changing climate". In 2023 alone he turned 12.5 million acres intoprotected areas and made 200 agreements with indigenous people about co-management of the protected areas.[255][256] He advanced a proposal to ban logging inold growth forests from 2025 which is also important for the climate.[257]
In response to what Biden describes as the growing influence of special interests andgerrymandering in elections, he has pledged to seek electoral and government ethics reforms.[258] Biden supported theFor the People Act and theJohn Lewis Voting Rights Act.[259][260] In January 2022, he endorsed a change tosenate filibuster rules after they both failed to invokecloture.[261] However, the rules change failed when two Democratic senators joined Senate Republicans in opposing it.[262]
Known for his generally bipartisan tone, Biden avoided directly referring to his predecessor during his first year in office.[263] Beginning in 2022, Biden condemned Trump andTrumpism in stronger terms; he likened the "MAGA philosophy" to "semi-fascism" and, ina 2022 speech outside Independence Hall in Philadelphia, said the "extreme ideology" of Trump, and a Republican Party dominated by him, "threatens the very foundation of our republic." Biden specifically condemned Trump and "MAGA Republicans" for promoting authoritarian leaders, using violent rhetoric, refusing to disavowpolitical violence, and refusing to acknowledge election losses.[263][264] Biden suggested that the2022 United States elections could be illegitimate if federal laws are not passed to combat enacted voter-suppression legislation from state legislatures.[265][266][267]
After theattempts to overturn the 2020 United States presidential election, Biden called for reforms to the 1887Electoral Count Act to clarify the roles of Congress and the vice president in certifying electoral votes. TheElectoral Count Reform and Presidential Transition Improvement Act of 2022 raised the threshold for objections to electoral votes, clarified that the vice president cannot decertify electoral votes, and modified the process for which electors are certified. It was included as part of the2023 Consolidated Appropriations Act.[268]
Due to ongoing decreases in housing affordability exacerbated by the pandemic, inflation, and snarls in the global supply chain, Biden launched theHousing Supply Action Plan on May 16, 2022, to increase housing supply and construction through executive initiatives, administrative deregulation and funding from theInfrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. Due to the statutory limits upon federal intervention in housing policy, the plan relied heavily upon partnerships with willing municipal governments and the private sector to reformzoning and permitting laws and secure construction supply, issuing financial incentives to municipal governments for cooperation with the plan, issuing financial support to renters, landlords and first-time homeowners, and disincentivizing large institutional investors from acquiring government-owned or funded home properties.[269] Biden also called upon Congress to pass an Unlocking Possibilities Program to allowHUD to issue grants to states and localities to help reform permitting for affordable housing, as well as further mortgage assistance for first-time homebuyers.[270]
Through theInflation Reduction Act, the Biden administration secured over $25 billion to invest in a variety of programs and tax credits that incentivize renovations and energy efficiency in housing through five federal agencies (HUD,IRS,DOE,DOT,EPA).[271][272]
On January 20, 2021, the day Biden was inaugurated, he halted the construction of theU.S.–Mexico barrier[109] and endeda related national emergency declared by Trump in February 2018.[3] Biden issued a proclamation that ended theTrump travel ban imposed on predominantly Muslim countries in January 2017.[109][3] Biden also reaffirmed protections to recipients ofDeferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA).[273] The same day, Biden sent a memorandum to theU.S. Department of State reinstating Deferred Enforced Departure for Liberians.[274][275]
On January 20, Biden proposed theU.S. Citizenship Act of 2021 which would enact broad changes to the immigration system.[276][277] It would provide an eight-year potential pathway for citizenship to eleven million immigrants living in the U.S. without a permanent legal status.[277][278] The bill would also make it easier for certain foreign workers to stay in the U.S.[279][280] In addition, it would deliver record budget allocations for theDepartment of Homeland Security to secure the border and $4 billion to El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras to combat the root causes of their emigration.[281] If passed, it would also replace the word "alien" with "noncitizen" inU.S. immigration law.[282][283][284]Senate Majority WhipDick Durbin called the bill "aspirational" and it was widely expected not to pass both houses of Congress without significant revision.[278][279][280]
Also on January 20, 2021, the Biden administration issued a moratorium ondeportations from theU.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) for the first 100 days of his presidency.[285] On January 22,Texas Attorney GeneralKen Paxton sued the Biden administration for violating Biden's written pledge to cooperatively work with the state of Texas.[286] A federal judge in Texas subsequently issued a temporary restraining order barring the Biden administration from enforcing its moratorium, citing the lack of "any concrete, reasonable justification for a 100-day pause on deportations."[287]
On January 22, 2021, Biden had a call withMexican presidentAndrés Manuel López Obrador. On the call, Biden and López Obrador spoke about immigration, where Biden spoke of reducingimmigration from Mexico to the U.S. by targeting what Biden deemed as root causes.[288] According to anAssociated Press report, López Obrador noted that Biden pledged $4 billion to "help development in Honduras, El Salvador and Guatemala — nations whose hardships have spawned tides of migration through Mexico toward the United States."[289]
According to a 2021Politico report, Republicans expected prior to Biden taking office that there would be a border surge at the start of 2021 (due to seasonal patterns and regional crises) and coordinated to make it a central issue in the lead-up to the 2022 mid-term elections.[290] The number of migrants arriving in the U.S. from Central America had been rising since April 2020 due to ongoing violence, natural disasters, food insecurity, and poverty in the region.[291] In February 2021, theU.S. Border Patrol reported a 61% increase in encounters with unaccompanied children from the month before, the largest one-month percentage increase in encounters with unaccompanied children sinceU.S. Customs and Border Protection began recording data in 2010.[292][293]
Biden instructed theU.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to focus on violent offenders of immigration laws rather than all offenders of immigration laws.[294][295]
In February 2021, it was reported that DHS agents who had been empowered by Trump to enact his anti-immigration policies were resisting and defying Biden's immigration policies.[294] The union representing ICE agents signaled that its agents would not accept reversals of Trump policies.[294]
In March 2021, the Biden administration grantedtemporary protected status to Venezuelansfleeing the country amidst the ongoing political and economiccrisis.[296]
On March 24, 2021, Biden tasked Vice President Harris to reduce the number ofunaccompanied minors and adultasylum seekers. She is also tasked with leading the negotiations withMexico,Honduras,Guatemala, andEl Salvador.[297][better source needed] The number of migrant families and unaccompanied children entering the U.S. from across the Southwest border steeply declined in August, September, and October 2021.[298]
On June 1, 2021, the DHS officially terminated theTrump-era "Remain in Mexico" policy, which mandated that allasylum seekers from Central America were to wait in Mexico pending their court cases; however, a health order from March 2020 allowed the border authorities to send migrants back for the duration of the COVID-19 pandemic have remained in place.[299][300] However, on August 14, 2021, a federal judge in Texas ordered the Biden administration to reimplement the policy; theSupreme Court placed a pause on the ruling to give the administration time for arguments.[301][302] On August 24, 2021, the Supreme Court ruled that the Biden administration must comply with the lower court's ruling to reinstate the policy.[303][304]
In fiscal year 2022, over one millionimmigrants (most of whom entered throughfamily reunification) were grantedlegal residence,[305] up from 707,000 in 2020.[306] Up until 2022 during Biden's presidency, the number of unauthorized immigrants in the United States steadily rose.[307]
On October 5, 2023, Biden's administration said it will add sections to a border wall to stave off record migrant crossings from Mexico, carrying forward a signature policy of former president Donald Trump.[308][309] One of Biden's first actions after taking office in January 2021 was to issue a proclamation pledging that "no more American taxpayer dollars be diverted to construct a border wall" as well as a review of all resources that had already been committed. The administration said Thursday's action did not deviate from Biden's proclamation because money that was allocated during Trump's term in 2019 had to be spent now.[308] Former president Trump was quick to claim victory and demand an apology: "As I have stated often, over thousands of years, there are only two things that have consistently worked, wheels, and walls!" Trump wrote on social media. "Will Joe Biden apologize to me and America for taking so long to get moving...".[308] Mexico's President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador called the move "a step backwards."[308]
On October 31, 2023, Homeland Security SecretaryAlejandro Mayorkas testified before the Senate Homeland Security Committee that more than 600,000 people illegally made their way into the United States without being apprehended by border agents during the 2023 fiscal year.[310][311]
President Biden pledged to welcome 125,000refugees in 2024.[312] The Biden administration considered acceptingPalestinian refugees from theGaza Strip.[313]
On March 29, 2024, in response to a class-action lawsuit filed by lawyers representing detained migrant children, the Biden administration argued in front of a federal court that it had no responsibility to feed and house migrant children that were waiting in Border Patrol camps along the U.S.-Mexico border.[314] This argument was rejected by Judge Dolly M. Gee, who ordered the administration to "expeditiously" house all detained migrant children.[315]
On June 4, 2024, President Biden issued a new executive order granting immigration officials the authority to deport certain asylum seekers without processing their claims. This measure targets migrants who enter the United States "without permission and against the law," making it easier for authorities to deport them.[316] Under the new order, if migrants express fear of returning to their home countries, they may be given an interview with an asylum officer. However, agents are no longer required to ask migrants if they have such fears.[317] As part of the new action, the Biden administration announced the closure of theSouth Texas Family Residential Center, the largest immigrant detention center in the United States. The primary reason cited for this decision was the high cost of operating the facility.[318]
Following months of negotiations, on February 4, 2024, a bipartisan group of senators released a 370-page bill intended to sharply reduce incentives for migrants to attempt border crossings. The bill included a "border emergency" provision that would automatically require the border to be closed if border encounters reached an average of 5,000 per day over several days. Trump,Speaker Mike Johnson and other Republicans falsely claimed the bill allowed 5,000 illegal border crossings per day.[320] In reality, the bill would end the practice of"catch and release" that allows migrants entry into the country while they await immigration hearings; instead, migrants would bedetained pending hearings.[320] The plan included a tighter asylum application and approval process with speedy removal of migrants who do not qualify, the hiring of thousands more border patrol and asylum officers and an increase in detention capacity. The bill also provided for thousands of work visas for migrant spouses of U.S. citizens awaiting immigrant visas, and 250,000 new visas over five years for people seeking to work in the U.S. or join family members. It aimed to provide apathway to citizenship for "Documented Dreamers," children who accompanied their parents on a work visa and who could lose their place in line for agreen card at age 21.[321]
President Biden supported the bill, while Speaker Johnson said days before its release that it would be "dead on arrival" in the Republican-controlled House. Shortly after the proposal was announced,House majority leaderSteve Scalise declared it would not be brought before the House for a vote. One negotiator, independentArizona SenatorKyrsten Sinema, asserted the border would have been closed every day so far in early January 2024 if the bill had been law; Biden promised in January that he would immediately close the border if the bill was enacted. Lead Republican negotiatorJames Lankford of Oklahoma, among the most conservative Republican Senators, attempted to defend the bill throughout the weeks leading to the vote. Trump, the leading Republican candidate for president in 2024, publicly and privately pressured Republicans during the Senate negotiations to oppose the proposal. TheNational Border Patrol Council, a labor union representing some 18,000 border patrol officers, quickly endorsed the Senate bill. The union had endorsed Trump in 2020 and had been critical of Biden's policies.[322][323][324][325][326]
Senate Republicans swiftly turned against the bill upon its release, after Trump openly said he did not want Joe Biden to score a political win with the legislation.[327] On February 7, 2024 Senate Republicans blocked the proposal in a floor vote. Lankford said on the floor before the vote that a "popular commentator" had told him a month earlier, "'If you try to move a bill that solves the border crisis during this presidential year, I will do whatever I can to destroy you, because I do not want you to solve this during the presidential election.'" Two days before the vote, Trump told a radio host, "This is a very bad bill for his career."[328] Trump said at a rally days later, "We crushed crooked Joe Biden's disastrous open borders bill," while Biden said, "Every day between now and November, the American people are going to know that the only reason the border is not secure is Donald Trump and hisMAGA Republican friends."[329]Biden, a practicing Catholic,[330] has taken a public position of dissent against the Church's position opposing free-choice in the abortion issue.[331] This has raised the question of whether his public office might allow him to influence the outcomes of current debates with the Church concerning abortion.[332] The Vatican has taken a mediating position concerning Biden's dissent by allowing him to takeCommunion in Rome while visiting the Pope.[331]
During his early days in office, Biden focused on "advancing equity, civil rights, racial justice and equal opportunity." According toThe New York Times, Biden's early actions in office focused onracial equality more than any president sinceLyndon B. Johnson, who passed theCivil Rights Act of 1964.[333] On January 25, 2021, Biden signed an executive order that lifted theban on transgender military service members.[334] This reversed a memorandum imposed by Trump.[335]
The Biden administration sought to putHarriet Tubman on thetwenty-dollar bill.[336][337] This effort followed that of theObama administration, which was blocked bySteven Mnuchin.[338] Press secretary Psaki said it was important thatU.S. money and notes reflect the "history and diversity" of the country and that putting Tubman on the twenty-dollar bill would do so.[339]
On January 20, 2021, the Biden administration issued an Executive Order entitled Advancing Racial Equity and Support for Underserved Communities Through the Federal Government[340] increasing the federal government's anti-bias enforcement against government contractors. The intent is heightened investigations and audits by theDepartment of Justice as well as more detailed follow-up inquiries with government contractors, with an emphasis on combatting pay discrimination.[341] Also in January, Biden directed the U.S. Department of Justice to reduce their usage ofprivate prisons and ordered the attorney general to not renew contracts with private prisons, citing the need to "reduce profit-based incentives" for the incarceration of racial minorities.[342][343][344]
Three days after theAtlanta spa shootings that killed 8 people, including 6 Asian women, Biden and Vice President Harris travelled toAtlanta. They spoke to Asian American and Pacific Islander advocates and leaders and condemned sexism, and racism against Asian Americans.[345]
Biden madeJuneteenth (June 19) a federal holiday in 2021, celebrating the end of slavery in the U.S.[346] In March 2022, Biden signed theEmmett Till Antilynching Act into law. With the enactment of that legislation,lynching was made a federalhate crime for the first time in American history.[347]
In October 2022,Biden pardoned all past federal marijuana possession charges and announced an inquiry into whethercannabis should be removed from Schedule I of theControlled Substances Act.[348] In December 2022, Biden signed theMedical Marijuana and Cannabidiol Research Expansion Act which was the first standalone cannabis-related bill ever passed by the United States Congress.[349]
In January 2025, Biden declared the lapsedEqual Rights Amendment ratified as the "28th Amendment" to theconstitution. However, the declaration has no formal effect[350][351] and theNational Archives has said they do not intend to certify the amendment as part of the constitution, citing "established legal, judicial, and procedural decisions."[352]
TheUnited States Department of Agriculture unveiled efforts in 2022 to preventanti-LGBT discrimination in food programs, includingschool lunch programs, resulting in 20 lawsuits from 20 Republicanattorneys general.[353]
In December 2022, Biden signed theRespect for Marriage Act, which repealed theDefense of Marriage Act (DOMA), required states to recognize other states' marriage certificates forLGBT Americans, and ensured some religious liberties.[354] The bill came from a push from Democrats to codify same-sex marriage after theDobbs decision, particularlyClarence Thomas's push to reconsider otherprecedents.[355]
In January 2023, the Biden administration released an "evidence agenda" forLGBTQI+ Americans to learn about "their experiences engaging with federal agencies and the disparities they face in their daily lives," as well as documenting how many LGBT people live in the United States.[356][357]
In December 2021, the Biden administration ended a long-standing restriction on sales of abortion pills through the mail. This decision came amidst legal cases and Supreme Court decisions that jeopardized abortion access in the United States.[358]
After the U.S. Supreme Court overturnedRoe v. Wade andPlanned Parenthood v. Casey on June 24, 2022, inDobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization, Biden addressed the nation in the Cross Hall of the White House.[359][360] He mentioned that "it's a sad day ... for the country" and "with Roe gone, ... The health and life of women in this nation are now at risk."[359][360] In addition, he attacked the Court saying "With this decision, the conservative majority of the Supreme Court shows how extreme it is" and "They have made the United States an outlier among developed nations in the world."[359][360] Regarding action, Biden stated that his administration will defend the right of women to seek an abortion in another state where abortion is legal and help protect a woman's access to contraception and abortion pills approved by the FDA.[359][360] He also called on Congress to codifyRoe v. Wade, saying "No executive action ... can do that.".[359][360] But stated that if Congress did not have the votes to codify, that the voters would have to take action by "elect[ing] more senators and representatives who will codify a woman's right to choose into federal law."[359][360]
The Biden administration rejected the call fromprogressives[361] to allow abortions on federal land, with White House press secretaryKarine Jean-Pierre saying, "in states where abortion is now illegal, women and providers who are not federal employees, as you look at the federal land, could be potentially – be prosecuted."[362]
During a press conference at the2022 Madrid NATO Summit, Biden expressed support for providing an exception to the filibuster to codifyRoe v. Wade.[363]
The Biden administration rescinded a Trump administration policy that curtailed the use ofconsent decrees that had been used by previous administrations in their investigations of misconduct in police departments.[364]
Biden proposed in his fiscal 2022 budget to more than double funding for the Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) Hiring Program, which helps state and local governments to hire law enforcement officers.[365]
Despite perceptions, notably by Republicans and conservative media, of a "crime crisis" of soaring violent crime under Biden, FBI data indicated the violent crime rate had declined significantly during the president's first two years in office, after a spike in 2020 during theCOVID pandemic. By 2022, the violent crime rate was near a 50-year low, and preliminary data released in early 2024 indicated continuing declines in 2023.[366][367][368][369]
As of July 1, 2024, violent crime was down and homicides were on pace to drop to 2015 levels by the end of the year.[370][371]
Biden issued more individual pardons and commutations than any other president.[11] On October 6, 2022, he pardoned all Americans convicted of "small" amounts ofcannabis possession under federal law.[372] On December 22, 2023, he pardoned Americans for cannabis use or possession on federal lands regardless of whether they had been charged or prosecuted.[373][374] On December 12, 2024, in the largest single-day clemency act in history, Biden granted clemency to about 1,500 nonviolent felons inhome confinement who had previously been released from prison.[375][376] The act generated controversy, as it included felons such asMichael Conahan, a judge involved in thekids for cash kickback scandal, andRita Crundwell, a comptroller responsible for the single largest municipal fraud in U.S. history.[377] On December 23, 2024, Biden commuted the sentences of 37 of the 40 individuals onfederal death row to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole.[378][379]
On December 1, 2024, Biden issued a "full and unconditional" pardon to his son, Hunter Biden, that covered all federal offenses between 2014 and December 1, 2024. According toReason magazine, the pardon's sweeping extent was "unprecedented" and was even more far-reaching thanRichard Nixon's or other "controversial" pardons:[380]
The Hunter pardon is far more comprehensive...in that it covered not just his convictions for drug-related activities and tax fraud, butany other criminal behavior since 2014—the year that Hunter joined the board of Ukrainian energy company Burisma. It has been alleged that Hunter's job was essentially to trade on the family name and sell his access to dad. This may not have been illegal, but it does mean that the pardon is clearly designed to offer preemptive protection not just to Hunter, but to Joe Biden himself. These features make the pardon unprecedented, though perfectly in line with the president's executive powers.
Hunter had been convicted on charges related to tax and gun offenses, after which Joe made numerous promises not to pardon him. He and his staff continued to say that Hunter would not be pardoned as late as November, although internal staff discussions affirmed that the option remained on the table even as Biden said otherwise.[381][382][383] In a statement announcing the pardon, Biden said he believed his son was "selectively, and unfairly, prosecuted".[384]
On his last day in office, Biden issued pardons for more of his family members and other high-profile figures.[385] The pardons covered Biden's siblings and their spouses, includingJames Biden, who was interviewed as part of an impeachment probe into Biden. Others pardoned that day include formerchairman of the Joint Chiefs of StaffMark Milley, formerNational Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases directorAnthony Fauci, and members and participants in theHouse Select Committee on the January 6 Attack, despite many of those pardoned not having been under criminal investigation.[385][11] Biden justified the pardons by citing his concern about "baseless and politically motivated investigations" during Trump's second term.[386][387][388] Biden added that the pardons were preemptive and should not be seen as implying their recipients' guilt.[389][390] The pardons Biden granted to his family and other political figures had a sweeping scope similar to the one he granted Hunter, covering federal offenses the recipients committed or may have committed between 2014 and the day of the pardon.[11][391]
In a national address in March 2021, aftermass shootings in theAtlanta area andBoulder, Colorado, Biden advocated further gun regulations, such as a restoredban on assault weapons and ahigh-capacity magazine ban, as well as reinforcing preexisting background checks.[392][393]
After theRobb Elementary School shooting on May 24, 2022, President Biden addressed the nation.[394] The next week, he again called on Congress to pass an assault weapons and high-capacity magazine ban, as well asred flag laws and other legislation.[395][396] As a result of the shooting, theBipartisan Safer Communities Act was eventually passed by Congress and signed into law. It marked the first federal gun safety law to have been enacted in 30 years.[397]
After theColorado Springs nightclub shooting, Biden called again for an assault weapons ban.[398]
The Biden administration reversed the Trump administration's method of using theNational Space Council to coordinate commercial, civil, and military space policies, instead using theNational Security Council to issue national security memoranda instead of the Space Council's space policy directives.[399] The Biden administration renewed the National Space Council, chaired by Vice President Harris,[400] "to assist the president in generating national space policies, strategies, and synchronizing America's space activities."[401] Harris held meetings with the leaders of five countries to discussinternational cooperation on space issues.[400]
The Biden administration continued theArtemis program to send people backto the Moon.[400][402] The administration also emphasized the role of NASA in studyingclimate change.[400][403]
Biden appointedBill Nelson, an astronaut and former U.S. senator, to the post ofNASA administrator. Nelson was confirmed unanimously by the Senate in April 2021.[404]
In April 2021, as part of his first annual budget request, Biden proposed a $24.8 billion budget for NASA in 2022, a $1.5 billion increase on what Congress allocated to 2021.[403][405] The proposal includes funding for the Artemis program for a new crewedMoon landing mission.[405] The proposal also included a 12.5% increase for NASA's Earth Science Division, as well as a 22% increase for theNational Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, which operates a fleet ofweather satellites; both measures aimed to use space tools to study andmitigate climate change.[403]
On December 1, 2021, Biden announced his new framework for US space policy, the United States Space Priorities Framework, which explains Biden's approach for commercial, civil, and military space activity.[406] There is a new emphasis on combating climate change and investing inSTEM education.[406]
On July 29, 2024, Biden announced a plan to reform the Supreme Court of the United States. The plan called for three major changes. The first was an amendment to the Constitution, the No One Is Above the Law Amendment, which would eliminate immunity for presidents. This would effectively reverse the Supreme Court's decision inTrump v. United States. Second, Biden laid out a plan for creating term limits for Supreme Court justices. Under his plan, every two years presidents would appoint justices to 18 year terms. Lastly, he pushed for "a binding code of conduct" to replace the Supreme Court's existing self-enforced ethics code.[407]
In 2024, Biden reauthorizedSection 702.[408]
On January 22, 2021, Biden signed his first bill,[409] H.R. 335 into law, providing a waiver to the law preventing appointment of aSecretary of Defense who had been on active duty in thearmed forces within the past seven years;[410] this was the third time such a waiver was granted by Congress. Retired armyfour-stargeneralLloyd Austin was confirmed by theSenate in a 93–2 vote that same day, making Austin the firstAfrican-American Defense Secretary.[411][409]
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Austin said his number one priority was to assistCOVID-19 relief efforts, pledging he would "quickly review the Department's contributions to COVID-19 relief efforts, ensuring that we're doing everything that we can to help distribute vaccines across the country and to vaccinate our troops and preserve readiness."[412]
On February 10, 2021, Biden visitedthe Pentagon for the first time as president.[413] In remarks to service members alongside Vice PresidentKamala Harris and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, Biden announced aU.S. Department of Defense-led China task force "to provide a baseline assessment of department policies, programs and processes in regard to the challenge China poses."[414]
On June 18, 2021, the administration removed eight MIM-104 Patriot anti-missile batteries from Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Kuwait, and Iraq, removed the THAAD anti-missile defense system from Saudi Arabia, and announced that most jet squadrons and hundreds of American troops would be withdrawn from the region. The changes come in light of both de-escalating tensions with Iran and the administration changing its focus on countering China.[415]
After taking office, Biden heavily restricted the use ofarmed drones and drone strikes.[416][417] After Biden's first year in office, drone strikes had hit a 20-year low and were heavily limited by the administration.[418][419]
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In October 2023, President Biden asked Congress for nearly $106 billion in funding for Israel, Ukraine, countering China in the Indo-Pacific, and operations on the southern U.S. border.[420] Biden signed a record $886 billiondefense spending bill into law on December 22, 2023.[421][422]
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In 2021, Biden held a virtual meeting with leaders ofJapan,India andAustralia, an alliance of countries known as theQuadrilateral Security Dialogue, or the Quad, that work together to address China's expansionism in theIndo-Pacific region.[423][424] This was followed by high level meetings and sanctions on Chinese officials,[425][426][424] and later hosting the first in-person Quad summit at the White House.[427]
On May 23, 2022, Biden launched theIndo-Pacific Economic Framework for Prosperity (IPEF) with 12 regional partners to counter growing Chinese economic and political influence in the Indo-Pacific region,[428] a move China described as a "closed and exclusive club".[429][430] In November 2023, under pressure from Congressional Democrats, the Biden administration halted plans for the IPEF's trade component.[431][432]
On August 18, 2023, Biden hosted Japan'sFumio Kishida and South Korea'sYoon Suk Yeol atCamp David, producing theCamp David Principles relating to joint military exercises,supply chain resilience, and united criticism of North Korea, Russia, and China.[433]
Biden has said the U.S. needs to "get tough" on China and build "a united front of U.S. allies and partners to confront China's abusive behaviors and human rights violations."[434] He described China as the "most serious competitor" that poses challenges on the "prosperity, security, and democratic values" of the U.S.[435]
Biden nominatedAntony Blinken to serve as Secretary of State who took office on January 26, 2021.[436][437] During his nomination hearing, Blinken said that previous optimistic approaches to China were flawed,[438] and that Biden's predecessor, Donald Trump, "was right in taking a tougher approach to China" but he "disagree[s] very much with the way [Trump] went about it in a number of areas."[437] He endorsed former secretary of stateMike Pompeo's report that China is committing agenocide against Uyghur Muslims.[437]
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In March 2021, Secretary of State Antony Blinken,National Security AdvisorJake Sullivan and other administration officials met with theChinese Communist Party Politburo memberYang Jiechi, Chinese foreign ministerWang Yi, and other Chinese officials inAlaska with heated exchanges onChina's human rights abuses,cyberattacks, its threats againstTaiwan, its crackdown inXinjiang andHong Kong, and other issues of U.S. interest. The Chinese side countered: "The U.S. does not have the qualification to speak to China from a position of strength [and] does not serve as a model to others [and] China's development and strengthening is unstoppable."[426][439]
On October 20, 2021, Biden said he is concerned aboutChinese hypersonic missiles, days after China tested anuclear-capable hypersonic missile that circled the globe before speeding towards its target.[440]
The U.S. took steps torestrict TikTok over national-security concerns related to its Chinese ownership. In December 2022, Biden signed theNo TikTok on Government Devices Act, barringTikTok on federal devices.[441] In April 2024, he signed theProtecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act,[442] which set a deadline for apps owned byforeign adversaries, such as TikTok’s parent companyByteDance, to either be sold to a non-adversary owner or be banned in the United States. TikTok’s U.S. ban was not enforced; service was restored and the enforcement deadline was repeatedly extended.[443]
On September 18, 2022, Biden said that U.S. forces would defend Taiwan if China launched an invasion. China condemned the remark, saying it sent the wrong signal to supporters of Taiwanese independence. The policy was stated in contrast to Biden's previous exclusion of U.S. forces in support for Ukraine in its current conflict with Russia.[444]
On February 1, 2021, Biden condemned theMyanmar coup d'état and called for the release of detained officials. Biden also left open the door to re-imposing sanctions on the country, saying in a statement that "[t]he United States removed sanctions on Burma over the past decade based on progress toward democracy. The reversal of that progress will necessitate an immediate review of our sanction laws and authorities, followed by appropriate action."[445]
On March 5, 2021, Biden imposed sanctions on Myanmar'sMinistry of Home Affairs andMinistry of Defence and certain junta conglomerates.[446] On March 22, 2021, Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced sanctions on several military generals in response to a violent crackdown on peaceful protests.[447]
In February 2020, the Trump administrationmade a deal with theTaliban to completely withdraw U.S. forces by May 1, 2021.[448] In April 2021, President Biden formally announced that American troops would instead withdraw from Afghanistan by September 11, 2021, which would signal an end to the U.S.'s longest war.[449] According to Princeton professorJulian E. Zelizer, Biden "clearly learned a great deal from his time in the Obama presidency", and demonstrated that "he is a politician capable of learning and evolving, contrary to some of the skeptics in the primaries who thought he didn't understand how politics had changed." According toWashington Post journalist Steven Levingston, "Obama listened to military leaders who advised him that withdrawal would be a mistake. Biden, meanwhile, was the top administration official arguing for a much more limited role for American forces in Afghanistan. Later, Biden would go on to say that he could tell by Obama's 'body language' that he agreed with that assessment — even though he ultimately rejected it."[450]
Soon after the withdrawal of U.S. troops started, theTaliban launched anoffensive against the Afghan government, quickly advancing in front of a collapsingAfghan Armed Forces.[451][452] President Biden defended the withdrawal, saying "I trust the capacity of the Afghan military, who is better trained, better equipped and ... more competent in terms of conducting war."[453]
By early July 2021, most of the American troops in Afghanistan were withdrawn.[448] Biden addressed the withdrawal, stating that: "The likelihood there's going to be the Taliban overrunning everything and owning the whole country is highly unlikely."[448] On August 15, amidan offensive by the Taliban, the Afghan government collapsed, Afghan presidentAshraf Ghani fled the country andKabul fell to the Taliban.[448][454] Biden reacted by ordering 6,000 American troops to assist in the evacuation of American personnel and Afghan allies.[455] He has been criticized over the manner of the American withdrawal.[454]
On August 16, Biden addressed the "messy" situation, taking responsibility for it ("the buck stops with me"), and admitting that the situation "unfolded more quickly than we had anticipated".[454][456] He defended his decision to withdraw, saying that Americans should not be "dying in a war that Afghan forces are not willing to fight for themselves", since the "Afghan military collapsed [against the Taliban], sometimes without trying to fight".[456][457] Biden partly attributed the lack of early evacuation of Afghan civilians to the Afghan government's opposition of a "mass exodus" which they thought would cause a "crisis of confidence".[457]
On August 26, asuicide attack was carried out by theIslamic State of Iraq and the Levant - Khorasan Province at theHamid Karzai International Airport, killing more than 170 people, including at least 62 Afghan civilians, 13 US service members, two British nationals and the child of a third British national.[458][459] Biden made a public address after the attack, in which he honored the American service members who were killed, calling them "heroes" and saying they lost their lives "in the service of liberty", and stated that the US had evacuated more than 100,000 Americans, Afghans, and others. He expressed deep sorrow for the Afghan victims as well. Biden said to those who wished harm upon the US that "we will hunt you down and make you pay."[460][461] Biden received increasingly harsh criticism from both Republicans and Democrats in the US Congress, with Republicans calling for his resignation or for his impeachment.[462][463][464]
After the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan, the Biden administrationfroze about $9 billion in assets belonging to theAfghan central bank, blocking the Taliban from accessing these billions of dollars inreserves held in U.S. bank accounts.[465][466]
In February 2022, Biden signed an executive order that seeks to unfreeze approximately $3.5 billion of Afghan assets in the U.S. for the purpose of humanitarian assistance in Afghanistan.[467]
On July 31, 2022,Al-Qaida leaderAyman al-Zawahiri was killed in Kabul byan American drone strike approved by Biden.[468]
Relations with Iran during the Biden administration centered on attempts to revive the 2015 nuclear agreement amid sanctions, cyberattacks, and proxy conflicts. U.S. officials sought a return to theJCPOA,[469] but Vienna talks stalled,[470][471] asIran increased uranium enrichment and imposed retaliatory sanctions,[470][472] while the U.S. imposed new sanctions over missile programs, oil exports, and human rights abuses.[473][474][475]
Proxy attacks on U.S. bases continued,[476] intensifying after the Gaza war in late 2023,[477] and were met with American strikes.[478] The period also saw disputes over theassassination of Qasem Soleimani,[479][480][481] and military escalations across the Gulf region.[482][483][484] In 2023, a breakthrough occurred with a U.S.–Iran prisoner swap and the release of frozen Iranian funds,[485][486][487] though indirect diplomacy remained fragile.[488] Later accusations of Iranian cyber interference in the 2024 U.S. election,[489][490][491] along with alleged assassination plots in the U.S.,[492] further strained relations. By late 2024, relations remained tense and adversarial.
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Biden ordered a halt in thearms sales to Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates which the Trump administration had previously agreed to.[494] Two years afterJamal Khashoggi's assassination, Avril Haines, theDirector of National Intelligence under Biden's administration, announced that the intelligence report into the case against the Saudi government would be declassified. It was reported that Crown PrinceMohammed bin Salman would be blamed for the murder, as was concluded by theCIA.[495]
On February 4, 2021, the Biden administration announced that the U.S. was endingits support for theSaudi-led bombing campaign inYemen. President Biden in his first visit to the State Department as president said "this war has to end" and that the conflict has created "a humanitarian and strategic catastrophe".[496] However, the details of the end of American involvement in the war have yet to be released as of April 2021.[497]
In September 2021, Biden's national security adviserJake Sullivan met in Saudi Arabia with Crown Prince Bin Salman to discuss thehigh oil prices.[498] Therecord-high energy prices were driven by a global surge in demand as the world quit the economic recession caused by COVID-19.[499][500] The Biden administration was pressed on potential oil deals with Saudi Arabia,Venezuela, andIran that would have them increase theiroil production.[501][502] However, so far, Saudi Arabia and theUnited Arab Emirates have declined requests from the US.[503][504]
As a presidential candidate, Joe Biden had vowed to make the Saudis "pay the price" and make them a "pariah" state, citing the Kingdom's involvement in theassassination of Jamal Khashoggi.[505] But, in June 2022, the White House confirmed that Biden was to visit Saudi Arabia and meet Crown PrinceMohammed bin Salman, during hisMiddle East trip in July.[506][507] The announcement came afterinflation in the US rose to a 40-year high.[508] TheRussian invasion of Ukraine also had an impact on the oil and gas prices in the US. Biden repeatedly appealed to the Saudis to increase oil production, but the Kingdom turned down such requests.[509] Biden's planned visit was seen as a move to seek Saudi assistance to ease the oil and gas prices at home.[506][510] However,human rights activists and Democratic lawmakers warned Biden that the visit could send signals to Saudi that their horrific human rights violations could be exempted.[506] Saudidissidents living in the US said that as Saudi activists who were wronged by Prince Mohammed, they "feel betrayed by Biden".[509] Son ofSaad Aljabri, Khalid AlJabri said Biden's meeting with MbS would be "equivalent of a presidential pardon for murder".[511] Democratic representativeAdam Schiff also criticized the visit saying, "I wouldn't go. I wouldn't shake his hand. This is someone who butchered an American resident, cut him up into pieces and in the most terrible and premeditated way."[512]
On July 10, 2022, president Biden defended his trip to Saudi Arabia, saying humans rights were on his agenda.[513] In anop-ed, he wrote that he aims to "reorient and not rupture relations with a country that's been a strategic partner for 80 years", and that Saudi Arabia has helped to restore unity among the six countries ofGulf Cooperation Council and has fully supported the truce in the context of theYemen war.[514]
Ahead of Biden's visit to Saudi Arabia, reports revealed that the Biden administration could possibly lift a ban on sales ofOffensive weapons to Riyadh. However, U.S. national security adviserJake Sullivan they were focused on a "real ceasefire", and on Saudi efforts to end the war.[515] After the meeting with Saudi officials, Biden announced that the Kingdom committed to extend thetruce in Yemen.[516] On August 2, 2022, the State Department approved the potential sale of 300 MIM-104E Guidance Enhanced Missile-Tactical Ballistic Missiles (GEM-T) for thePatriot missile defense system to Saudi Arabia. It also approved support equipment, spares and technical support to the Arab nation. In addition, the State Department also approved the potential sale of 96Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) missile defense system interceptors and support equipment to the UAE.[517][518] However,Human Rights Watch said the US should suspend sales of both offensive and defensive arms to Saudi Arabia and the UAE, which have used American weapons in unlawful airstrikes. HRW said a policy reversal by the US could lead to added rights violations in Yemen.[519]
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The U.S. authorities indictedThomas J. Barrack Jr., an outside adviser to Donald Trump during and after the2016 United States presidential election campaign. They alleged he acted as an unregistered foreign lobbyist for theUnited Arab Emirates. Barrack was also accused of obstruction of justice by giving false statements to the investigators.[520][521] He was found not guilty on all charges in November 2022.[522] TheDOJ also prosecuted some men for funneling more than $3.5 million toHillary Clinton fromGeorge Nader, the royal adviser of the UAE.[523]
While federal prosecutors accused the Emirates of interfering in American politics from both sides, the relations with the Arab nation during Biden's presidency didn't witness much of the expected changes. The UAE was seen escaping its blunder-filled history of relations with the US, despite Biden's repetitive criticism against the Emirates'human rights violations and its attempts of infiltrating the US politics.[524] Moreover, the Biden administration also permitted the arms sales of $23 billion to the UAE, which was initiated by Donald Trump and involved a transfer of sophisticated weaponry like theF-35 fighter jets.[525] The US Justice Department did not charge any Emirati in the case. However, Barrack's indictment identified three UAE officials who were hosts at his reception in the Gulf nation after Trump's 2016 elections, and two others who were involved. Amongst the hosts was Abu Dhabi Crown PrinceMohamed bin Zayed, the UAE's national security adviserTahnoun bin Zayed and director of the Emirati intelligence service, Ali Mohammed Hammad Al Shamsi. The fourth Emirati official was Abdullah Khalifa Al Ghafli, who "tasked" Barrack to push Emirati interests with America. Another official wasYousef Al Otaiba, who asked to remain anonymous in discussions over private matters.[526]
On September 23, 2024, the UAE president Mohamed bin Zayed visited the White House to hold meetings with President Biden and Kamala Harris. It marked the first ever meeting of an Emirati President to Washington. Biden and Harris met Mohamed separately, focusing on future bilateral economic and technological relations. Prior to the meeting, Biden received a letter from the lawmakers to raise concerns with the UAE around its military support to theRapid Support Forces (RSF) in Sudan. Appreciating Biden's efforts towards theSudan crisis, the lawmakers stated that the Emirati actions could become an obstruction. They urged Biden to address the concerns to Mohammed and press the UAE to cease the support to RSF.[527][528][529]
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Early on, the Biden administration addressed Trump'srecognition of Jerusalem as the Israeli capital. The White House confirmed that theU.S. Embassy would remain inJerusalem and it would continue to be recognized as the capital. The administration also expressed support for theAbraham Accords while wanting to expand on them, although it shied away from using that name, instead referring to it simply as "the normalization process".[530][531][532]
On May 13, 2021, in the aftermath of theAl-Aqsa mosque conflict, the Biden administration was accused of being indifferent towards the violent conflict between Israeli statehood and the Palestinian minority there. Critics on both sides identified the reaction by the White House as "lame and late".[533]
On May 21, 2021, a ceasefire was brokered betweenIsrael andHamas aftereleven days of clashes. According to Biden, the US will be playing a key role to rebuild damaged infrastructure in the Gaza alongside thePalestinian authority.[534][535]
Afterthe October 7 attack in Israel, Biden stated, "We stand with Israel" three days later and emphasized the US's role in potentially freeing American hostages in Gaza.[536]
On October 14, Biden condemned themurder of Wadea Al-Fayoume, a six-year-old Muslim boy in Chicago, by the boy's landlord. The murder was an alleged hate crime inspired by the conflict. Biden said, "There is no place in America for hate against anyone."[537][538]
During a speech at theHuman Rights Campaign Dinner on October 15, a protestor chanted "let Gaza live" and "ceasefire now" to which Biden responded that he could not hear the protestor, but then later said "I get it. I'm not sure that's a good thing. No, I'm only joking."[539][540]
Biden's trip to Jordan to meetKing Abdullah II,Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, andMahmoud Abbas was "mutually" canceled on October 17 and indefinitely postponed.[541][542][543]
President Biden traveled toTel Aviv, Israel on October 18 and met with Prime MinisterBenjamin Netanyahu, resulting inhumanitarian aid being allowed into Gaza, including food, water, and medicine.[544] During the trip, Biden blamed theal-Ahli Arab Hospital explosion on "an errant rocket fired by a terrorist group in Gaza," citing US intelligence reports.[545][546] He also promised to ask congress for an "unprecedented support package for Israel's defense," potentially tied to a bill with support for Ukraine, Taiwan, and theSouthern Border.[547] Biden called on Congress to pass $14.3 billion in emergencymilitary aid to Israel.[548] Israel already receives $3.8 billion a year in military aid.[549] Biden also announced that the US would send $100 million in humanitarian aid to Gaza and the West Bank.[550]
On November 1, after Jessica Rosenberg, arabbi and activist fromJewish Voice for Peace, heckled Biden during a speech inNorthfield, Minnesota calling for a ceasefire, Biden said, "I think we need a pause. A pause means give time to get the prisoners out."[551][552]
Starting November 9, Biden negotiated four-hour pauses for civilians to flee every day after his push for three-day pauses failed.[553] Starting on November 23, Israel agreed to afour-day ceasefire for north of Gaza for six hours a day and a complete ceasefire south of Gaza in exchange forhostages taken by Hamas. The deal was brokered by Qatar, Egypt, and the United States.[554][555][556]
Ian Bremmer, an American political scientist, stated the Biden administration's position unconditionally supporting Israel had left him as isolated on the world stage as Russia's presidentVladimir Putin.[557] Biden has reportedly expressed frustration with Netanyahu's handling of the war, although this has not led to a major shift in American policy.[558][559]
Congressional oversight on arms sales has been sidestepped by the Biden administration on two occasions in December 2023.[560] Usually theArms Export Control Act would require theState Department, on behalf of the president, to provideU.S. Congress advance notification of government-to-government foreign military sales of defense equipment. But the secretary of stateAntony Blinken certified the existence of an "emergency" and therefore the requirement was lifted twice which raised objections from lawmakers from theDemocratic Party.[561]
In February 2024, the Biden administration warned the government of Israel against its announced advance againstRafah,[562] andNBC news reported that Biden "has been venting his frustration in recent private conversations, some of them with campaign donors, over his inability to persuade Israel to change its military tactics in the Gaza Strip".[558] On February 16, 2024, theWall Street Journal reported that the administration is pushing for a cease-fire deal but on the other hand is preparing another delivery of bombs and other weapons and that the administration has to notify "congressional committee leaders who would need to approve the transfer."[563] On February 20, the U.S. governmentvetoed a U.N. Security Council resolution demanding a cease-fire in Gaza.[564]
After thekilling of Palestinian civilians receiving food aid on February 29, Biden expressed that the current level of aid flowing into Gaza was insufficient.[565] On March 3, US military began airdropping food aid into Gaza.[566] Some experts called the US airdrops performative and claimed they would do little to alleviate thefood situation in Gaza.[567] In July 2024, following Biden's decision not to seek re-election, Palestinian advocacy groups stated they believed that the war would define Biden's presidential legacy.[568]
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On March 30, 2024, the Biden administration authorized $2.5 billion in weapons transfers to Israel.[569] On April 24, 2024, Biden signed a$95 billion security package which included around $17 billion in military aid for Israel.[570] In June 2024, the United States officially signed a Letter of Offer and Acceptance, allowing Israel topurchase 25 additionalLockheed Martin F-35 stealth fighter jets for $3 billion.[571]
On July 10, 2024, the Biden administration resumed shipments of the500-pound bombs to Israel, which were halted in May over concerns about thehumanitarian impact of Israel's use of them inkilling Palestinians in Gaza.[572] On August 9, 2024, the Department of State said the United States would send Israel an additional $3.5 billion to spend on US-made weapons and military equipment.[573] On August 13, 2024, the Department of State announced that the U.S. had approved a $20 billion weapons package sale to Israel, which included fighter jets and advanced air-to-air missiles.[574]
On September 17, 2024, thousands of handheldpagers used byHezbollah simultaneouslyexploded across Lebanon and Syria.[575] The attack came just a day after the Biden administration's special envoyAmos Hochstein visited Israel and warned Benjamin Netanyahu against provoking a majorescalation in Lebanon.[576]
On November 20, 2024, a UN Security Council draft resolution that demanded an immediate and unconditional ceasefire in the Gaza Strip wasvetoed by the U.S. whereas all other members voted in favor. The draft resolution would have rejected "any effort to starve Palestinians" and demanded the facilitation of full, rapid, safe and unhindered entry of aid at scale to and throughout the Strip and its delivery to all those in need.[577] On January 15, 2025, aceasefire proposal backed by Biden was adopted just days before his leaving office.[578][579]
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During a July 2022 visit to Israel, Biden stressed the importance of keeping thetwo-state vision alive. He met withPalestinian National Authority PresidentMahmoud Abbas and announced a new aid package to the Palestinians.[580] During the administration of his predecessor Donald Trump, U.S. contributions to theUnited Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees had been defunded.[581] On the Israeli end, Prime Minister Yair Lapid reaffirmed his position on a two-state solution.[580]
On April 24, 2021, the Biden administration declared that the Turkish killings of Armenians at the start of the 20th century were agenocide. He is the first U.S. president to ever officially recognize theArmenian genocide.[582]
On the day of Biden's inauguration, theRussian government urged the new U.S. administration to take a "more constructive" approach in talks over the extension of the 2010New START treaty, the sole remaining agreement limiting the number of U.S. and Russianlong-range nuclear warheads.[583] In Biden's first telephone call as president withRussian PresidentVladimir Putin, on January 26, 2021, Biden and Putin agreed to extend the New START treaty (which was set to expire in February 2021) by an additional five years.[584]
Biden and his administration condemned human rights violations by the Russian authorities, calling for the release of detained dissident and anti-corruption activistAlexei Navalny, his wife, and the thousands of Russians who haddemonstrated in his support; the U.S. called for the unconditional release of Navalny and the protestors and a credible investigation intoNavalny's poisoning.[585][586][587] On March 2, 2021, the U.S. and European Union imposed coordinated additional sanctions on Russian officials, as well as theFSB andGRU, over Navalny's poisoning and imprisonment. The State Department also expanded existing sanctions from the Chemical and Biological Weapons Control and Warfare Elimination Act that had been imposed after the poisoning of Skripal.[588] The Biden administration also planned to impose sanctions against Russia because of the2020 SolarWinds cyberespionage campaign, which compromised the computer systems of nine federal agencies.[589] Biden's national security adviserJake Sullivan said the response "will include a mix of tools seen and unseen, and it will not simply be sanctions."[589][588]
The Biden administration's comprehensive review into Russian activities has included an examination ofreports that the Russian government offered bounties to kill U.S. troops in Afghanistan.[590][591] The Biden administration said intelligence community has only "low to moderate" confidence in reports due to the fact that the bounty reports originated from "detainee reporting and because of the difficult operating environment in Afghanistan."[592][593] Biden called Russian presidentVladimir Putin a "killer" in an ABC News interview, and said that Russia would pay a price for election meddling.[594]
On May 19, 2021, the Biden administration liftedCAATSA sanctions on the Nord Stream 2 pipeline project between Russia and Germany. Despite Biden's personal opposition to the project, the U.S. State Department says that it concluded that it was in the "U.S. national interest" to waive the sanctions.[595] Russian deputy foreign ministerSergei Ryabkov welcomed the move as "a chance for a gradual transition toward the normalization of our bilateral ties."[595]
On June 16, 2021,Biden met with Putin inGeneva, Switzerland. The two presidents discussed a number of topics, including stable policy on climate change, nuclear proliferation, and cybersecurity. Russia's activities regardingUkraine,Alexei Navalny,Belarus, and nationals jailed in each other's countries. The summit was significantly shorter than expected, only lasting three and a half of the predicted five hours.[596] Putin praised Biden as a knowledgeable and shrewd negotiator the next day.[597][598]
In November 2021, Putin stated that anexpansion of NATO's presence in Ukraine, especially the deployment of anylong-range missiles capable of striking Russian cities ormissile defense systems similar to those in Romania and Poland, would be a "red line" issue for Russia.[599][600] In December 2021, Putin asked President Joe Biden for legal guarantees that NATO wouldn't expand eastward or put "weapons systems that threaten us in close vicinity to Russian territory."[601] The U.S. and NATO have rejected Putin's demands.[602][603]
On February 24, 2022, Biden condemnedRussia's invasion of Ukraine, saying Putin "chose this war" and calling him "the aggressor". He announced new sanctions against Russia.[604] On February 25, the White House announced the US would personally sanction Putin and foreign ministerSergey Lavrov.[605] On February 28, the Biden administration announced sanctions againstRussia's central bank, prohibiting Americans from doing business with the bank and freezing the bank's assets.[606] On March 29, 2022, Biden appeared to heighten his condemnation concerning Putin made at the end of his NATO trip to Europe, stating that he makes "no apologies" for previously stating that "Putin cannot remain in power".[607] On April 12, he called the war a "genocide".[608] Biden criticized the Kremlin for "idle comments" on the possible use ofnuclear weapons.[609]
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On April 28, Biden asked Congress for an additional $33 billion to assist Ukraine, including $20 billion to provide weapons to Ukraine.[610] On May 10, theHouse passed legislation that would provide $40 billion in new aid to Ukraine.[611] TheNew York Times reported that the United States provided real-time battlefieldtargetingintelligence to Ukraine that helped Ukrainian forces kill Russian generals and sink the Russian warshipMoskva.[612][613] The Biden administration has pledged to help theInternational Criminal Court (ICC) to prosecute Putin and others for war crimes committed during the invasion of Ukraine.[614][615]
On September 27, 2022, White House press secretaryKarine Jean-Pierre encouraged Russian men fleeing their home country to avoid being drafted to apply forasylum in the United States.[616] In early 2023, the Biden administration resumed deportations of Russians whohad fled Russia because ofmobilization andpolitical persecution.[617]
In January 2024, the Biden administration rejected Putin's proposal for aceasefire in Ukraine. Biden's National Security AdvisorJake Sullivan informed Putin's foreign policy adviserYuri Ushakov that the United States would not discuss a ceasefire without Ukraine's participation.[618][619]
On May 30, 2024, Biden gave Ukraine permission tostrike targets inside Russia using American-supplied weapons.[620] Biden said "They are authorized to be used in proximity to the border. We are not authorizing strikes 200 miles into Russia."[621] On August 9, 2024, a convoy of Russian troops in theKursk Oblast of Russia wasdestroyed in a strike by U.S.-suppliedHIMARS rocket system in what Russian milbloggers described as one of the bloodiest attacks of the entire war.[622][623]
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In February 2022, amidrising tensions between Ukraine and Russia, the Biden administration faced questions for its year-long failure to nominate an ambassador to Ukraine.[624]
TheRussian invasion of Ukraine instigated significant and substantial support to Ukraine during the Biden presidency including two dozen military aid packages to assist them against the invasion. On October 28, 2022the Pentagon announced the 24th presidential drawdown of materiel worth $275 million; the security assistance has totaled $18.5 billion to Ukraine since January 2021.[625] The aid includes 500 Excalibur precision-guided 155mm artillery rounds, 2000 155mm remote anti-armor mine systems, more than 1,300 anti-armor weapons, more than 2.75 million rounds of small arms ammunition, more HIMARS rockets, 125Humvees, and four satellite communications antennas for Ukraine'scommand and control systems, as well as training for operation of theNASAMS units.[b] Two NASAMS units arrived in Ukraine on November 7, 2022.[625][626][c]
On February 20, 2023, four days before the one-year anniversary of the start of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, Bidenvisited Kyiv and met with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy andFirst Lady of UkraineOlena Zelenska.[630] While there, Biden affirmed more military aid to Ukraine and denounced the war.[631] The trip was unannounced, and involved major security coordinations to ensure safety.[632]
In 2022, Congress approved more than $112 billion in aid to Ukraine. In October 2023, the Biden administration requested $61.4 billion more in aid for Ukraine for the year ahead.[633]
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President Biden promised to repair "strained" relationships with European allies in contrast to his predecessor Trump. "An attack on one is an attack on all. That is our unshakeable vow," Biden said, referring toArticle 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty (the mutual defense clause).[634] Biden pledged support for the European project and for Ukraine's sovereignty as well as the need for global cooperation on fighting the pandemic and climate change.[635]
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U.S. relations with France deteriorated in September 2021 due to fallout from theAUKUS security pact between the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia, which aimed to counter Chinese power in theIndo-Pacific region. As part of the agreement, the U.S. agreed to providenuclear-powered submarines to Australia. After entering into the agreement, the Australian government canceled an agreement that it had made with France for theprovision of French conventionally powered submarines. The deal angered the French government, which recalled its ambassador to the U.S. (Philippe Étienne) as well as the ambassador to Australia. Amid the diplomatic row, the French Foreign Ministry contended that it had been subjected to "duplicity, disdain and lies"[636][637] and French foreign ministerJean-Yves Le Drian called the deal a "stab in the back".[638] In a conciliatory call a few days later, Biden and French presidentEmmanuel Macron agreed to reduce bilateral tensions, and the White House acknowledged the crisis could have been averted if there had been open consultations between allies.[639] A month later, Biden met Macron, telling him his administration was "clumsy" and that he was "under the impression that France had been informed long before" that France's deal with Australia was "not going through".[640]
In July 2024, the Biden administration announced its intention to deploylong-range missiles inGermany beginning in 2026. In response, Russian president Putin warned of aCold War-style missile crisis and threatened to deploy long-range missiles within striking distance of the West.[641][642] US weapons in Germany would includeSM-6 andTomahawk cruise missiles andhypersonic weapons.[642] The United States' decision to deploy long-range missiles in Germany has been compared to the deployment ofPershing II launchers in Western Europe in 1979.[643][642] Critics say the move would trigger a newarms race.[644] According to Russian military analysts, it would be extremely difficult to distinguish between a conventionally armed missile and a missile carrying a nuclear warhead, and Russia could respond by deploying longer-range nuclear systems targeting Germany.[645]
Biden has reiterated his commitment to maintaining peace inNorthern Ireland by resisting the possibility of a hard border as a result ofBrexit.[646]
The Biden administration has maintained the sanctions againstCuba that were issued by thefirst Trump administration, despite one of Biden's campaign promises being to lift restrictions against the country.[647][648]
In June 2021, the Biden administration continued America's tradition of voting against an annual United Nations General Assembly resolution calling for an end to theU.S. economic embargo against Cuba.[649] The resolution was adopted for the 29th time with 184 votes in favor, three abstentions, and two no votes: the U.S. and Israel.[650]
In July 2021, protesters gathered in front of the White House and demonstrators called on President Joe Biden to take action in Cuba.[651] The Biden administration sanctioned a key Cuban official and a government special forces unit known as the Boinas Negras for human rights abuses in the wake of historic protests on the island.[652] On July 22, 2021, directly before hosting a meeting withCuban American leaders,[653] President Biden stated "I unequivocally condemn the mass detentions and sham trials that are unjustly sentencing to prison those who dared to speak out in an effort to intimidate and threaten the Cuban people into silence."[654] President Biden has also ordered government specialists to develop ideas for the U.S. to unilaterally extend internet access on the island, and he has promised to enhance backing for Cuban dissidents.[655]
In August 2021, Biden sanctioned three additional Cuban officials who were also reportedly involved in the suppression of anti-government protesters in Cuba.[656]
In December 2021, 114 Democratic House members signed a letter that urged President Biden to lift restrictions and sanctions against Cuba in order to make their access to food and medicine easier.[648]
In January 2022, Biden again sanctioned Cuba officials, this time placing travel restrictions on eight members of the Cuban government.[657]
In May 2022, the Biden administration lifted some of the sanctions, with policy changes such as expansion of flights to Cuba and resumption of a family reunification program. In January 2023, the Biden administration made changes to its immigration policy, to limit the amount of Cuban migrants entering the United States.
In the final week of his presidency, the Biden administration removed Cuba from thestate sponsors of terrorism list, in concert with a prisoner exchange, brokered by the Vatican.[658]
Biden hosted a three-day U.S.-Africa summit in Washington in December 2022, attended by 49 African national leaders.[659] The meeting was the first such summit since 2014.[659][660] The leaders of everyAfrican nation in good standing with theAfrican Union (AU), exceptEritrea, were invited to the summit.[660] The leaders of African nations not in good standing with the AU (mostly those who had come to power throughmilitary coups) were also not invited.[660]
At the summit, Biden announced U.S. support for the AU joining theG20 group of major economies, a long-sought goal for Africa.[661] The summit was part of a broader effort by the U.S. to rebuild U.S.-African relations and counter Chinese influence on the continent.[659] During the summit, the administration announced $800 million in new deals withCisco Systems and Cybastion to combat cyberthreats targeting Africa, a bid to blunt the dominance of the Chinese firmHuawei in Africa.[662] The administration also signed a memorandum of understanding in support of theAfrican Continental Free Trade Area to reducetrade barriers in Africa,[662] and committed $55 billion to Africa over the next three years, focused on preexisting U.S. initiatives,[662][659] such as the trade-focused Prosper Africa andAfrica Growth and Opportunity Act, as well as thePower Africa initiative, which aims to increase connections of Africans to theelectric grid.[659] The administration also emphasized initiatives in technology and cybersecurity, health,clean energy and the environment, and other areas.[662][660] Biden committed an additional $2 billion for emergency humanitarian aid and $11 billion forfood security programs in Africa.[660] The administration also expanded ties withWest Africa, including support for infrastructure improvements at theBenin seaport ofCotonou, a key part of the West African economy.[659][663] Biden appointed a longtime U.S. diplomat,Johnnie Carson, to coordinate implementation of U.S. actions following up the summit.[664]
During the 2022 summit, Biden and senior administration officials also met privately with six African leaders facing elections in 2023, pushing them to ensurefree and fair elections in their nations.[664]
SenatorBob Menendez, the Democratic chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, has criticized the Biden administration for hesitating to imposesanctions on the governments ofSudan andEthiopia, where many atrocities andwar crimes were committed in theTigray War.[665]
In July 2022, President Biden signed an executive order aimed at deterring the wrongful detention of Americans abroad.[666] According to an estimate by The James W. Foley Legacy Foundation, there are at least 67U.S. citizens who are currently imprisoned abroad. The foundation further estimates that 90% of those are wrongly detained by foreign governments hostile to the U.S., includingVenezuela,Russia,China,Iran, and others.[667] Dozens of families of Americans who are detained abroad say President Biden has failed to adequately address the crisis.[667] They formed a group called "Bring Our Families Home Campaign" to pressure Biden to do more.[668]
In September 2023, President Biden reached a deal to release five prisoners held by Iran. In exchange, $6 billion of frozen Iranian assets were released.[669] The U.S. said the unfrozen money would be held in restricted accounts so that it could only be spent on humanitarian goods such as food and medicine.[670]
In August 2024, President Bidenreached a deal to secure the largestprisoner exchange since theCold War.[671] The exchange included the release of AmericansEvan Gershkovich,Paul Whelan, andAlsu Kurmasheva; thirteen others from Russia and Belarus; and Russians held by the U.S., Slovenia, Norway, Poland, and Germany.[672] Turkey and Estonia were also involved in the deal.[671] Biden stressed the importance of alliances on the world stage by describing the achievement as "a powerful example of why it's vital to have friends in this world."[673]
On February 4, 2021, Biden issued a presidential memorandum for expanding protection ofLGBT rights worldwide, which includes the possibility to impose financial sanctions.[674]
TheUS State Department released a statement onIntersex Awareness Day promoting LGBTQI+ rights around the globe, saying, "Intersex persons often face stigma and discrimination in accessing education, healthcare, and legal recognition, and are subjected to medically unnecessarysurgeries. These harmful practices, which can cause lifelong negative physical and emotional consequences, are a medical form of so-calledconversion therapy practices in that they seek to physically "convert" Intersex children into non-Intersex children."[675]
Biden announced he would be removingUganda from theAfrican Growth and Opportunity Act trade deal[676] over the country'santi-LGBT bill that included thedeath penalty for "aggravated homosexuality" andlife-in-prison for identifying as LGBT.[677][678]
Biden's attorneys informed theNational Archives Administration in November 2022 thatclassified documents from before Biden's presidency had been found at thePenn Biden Center. Days later Attorney General Garland tasked U.S. AttorneyJohn R. Lausch Jr. with conducting an initial investigation.[679][680][681] On January 5, 2023, Lausch advised Garland that the assignment of aspecial counsel was warranted.[679][680][681] On January 12, Garland announced that he was appointing a special counsel to investigate "possible unauthorized removal and retention of classified documents or other records",[682][683] and appointedRobert K. Hur as special counsel.[684] Hur released his report on February 8, 2024, stating that the "evidence does not establish Mr. Biden's guilt beyond a reasonable doubt".[685] The report's final conclusion was that "no criminal charges are warranted in this matter" and that it would be "the same even if there was no policy against charging a sitting president".[686]
On September 12, 2023, Speaker McCarthy acceded to the right wing of the House Republican Conference and announced the launch of animpeachment inquiry into Biden.[687][688][689] McCarthy claimed that earlier findings of House investigations "paint a picture ofcorruption" involving Biden and his relatives.[690] Prior investigations have failed to find evidence of wrongdoing by the president.[d] The impeachment inquiry fizzled out by April 2024.[695]
| Senate leaders | House leaders | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Congress | Year | Majority | Minority | Speaker | Minority |
| 117th | 2021–2022 | Schumer[e] | McConnell | Pelosi | McCarthy |
| 118th | 2023 | Schumer | McConnell | McCarthy | Jeffries |
| 2023–2024 | Schumer | McConnell | Jeffries | ||
| 119th[g] | 2025 | Thune | Schumer | Johnson | Jeffries |
| Congress | Senate | House |
|---|---|---|
| 117th[g] | 50[e] | 222 |
| 118th | 51 | 213 |
| 119th[g] | 47 | 215 |
Despite Biden's low approvals, ared wave did not occur during the 2022 mid-term elections as many had anticipated. Democrats expanded theirnarrow Senate majority while Republicanstook control of the House by a far smaller margin than expected.[696] This was largely attributed to a backlash againstthe Supreme Court's decision inDobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization,[697] as well as theperceived extremeness of certain Republican candidates in competitive races.
It was the first midterm election since1986 in which the party of the incumbent president achieved a net gain in governorships, and the first since1934 in which the president's party didn't lose any state legislative chambers or incumbent senators.[698]
Manypundits had failed to predict the Democrats' resilient performance;Simon Rosenberg was one exception.[699] Polls for the election cycle were the most accurate since1998, though Republican-aligned pollsters such as theTrafalgar Group had a notable polling miss.[700][701]
The results drew praise from the Democratic Party,[702] and Biden celebrated the results as a strong day for democracy.[703]
Democratic overperformance in these elections are considered to have played a factor in the party's defeat in the 2024 elections, with its results misinterpreted as support for Biden's initial bid for re-election.[704][705]
After speculation Biden would not seek re-election due to his advanced age and poor job approval,[706] Biden officially announcedhis reelection campaign for theDemocratic nomination in the2024 presidential election on April 25, 2023.[707]RepresentativeDean Phillips ran against Biden in the primaries but was unsuccessful.[708][709] Phillips campaigned as a younger alternative to Biden, who would be a stronger opponent to Trump.[710][711] Biden became the presumptive Democratic party nominee on March 12, 2024, facing no effective challengers in the primaries.[712] Following what was widely viewed as a lackluster performance in thefirst presidential debate against presumptive Republican nominee Donald Trump and numerousage and health concerns, Biden facedrepeated calls to suspend his candidacy. On July 21, 2024, Biden announced in a post onX (formerly known as Twitter) that he was suspending his campaign. He stated that "while it has been my intention to seek re-election, I believe it is in the best interest of my party and the country for me to stand down and to focus solely on fulfilling my duties as President for the remainder of my term", and endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris in his stead.[713]
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Following theattempted assassination of his then-opponent and then-presumptive Republican nominee former president Donald Trump, Biden condemned the shooting and, in anOval Office address the next day, spoke about the "need for to lower the temperature" of its political rhetoric.[714]
Biden defended his record as president at theDemocratic National Convention and advocated for the election of Harris in one of the last speeches of his presidency.[715] The convention was largely portrayed as an honoring of his political legacy.[716] In the general election, Harris was defeated by Trump. Some Democrats attributed Harris' loss to Biden's unpopularity on issues such as the economy and his refusal to withdraw from the race sooner.[717][31] In the concurrentcongressional elections, Republicans also retained a narrow majority in theHouse of Representatives and took control of theSenate.
On January 15, 2025, Biden gave afarewell address in theOval Office days before thesecond inauguration of Donald Trump.[718]
Very early in Biden's presidency, opinion polls found that Biden's approval ratings were steadier than Trump's, with an average approval rating of 55% and an average disapproval rate of 39%.[719] Biden's early approval ratings have been more polarized than Trump's, with 98% of Democrats, 61% of independents and 11% of Republicans approving of Biden's presidency in February 2021, a party gap of 87%.[720] Around the end of his first hundred days in office, Biden's approval rating was higher than Trump's but was the third worst since the presidency ofHarry Truman; only Trump andGerald Ford scored lower.[721][722]
After thefall of Kabul andthe surge of COVID-19 cases due to theDelta variant in July and August 2021, Biden's approval rating began to steadily decline, from a high of 52.7% approval on July 26, 2021, to 45.9% approval by September 3, 2021, according to FiveThirtyEight.[723][724] While the White House emphasized COVID-19 as causing his low approval rating,[725]inflation, thehighest in nearly 40 years,[726][727] has also been described as a cause.[728][729] Biden's lowest approval rating on record comes from aQuinnipiac University poll in July 2022, which showed just 31% of respondents approving of his performance as president.[730]
By the one-year anniversary of Biden's presidency on January 20, 2022,Gallup recorded the average approval rating for Biden's first year as 49%, which was the second-lowest first-year average approval rating for any American president sinceWorld War II; only Trump's first-year average of 38.4% was lower.[731][732] Gallup further noted that there was greater political polarization in Biden's approval ratings than any other first-year president in modern history, with 91% of Democrats supporting Biden while just 8% of Republicans supported him, resulting in a party gap of 83%. The only other year of any presidency that saw greater polarization was Trump's final year in office.[731][733] The July 2022 Gallup survey saw Biden's sixth quarter approval rating of 40%, the lowest sixth quarter rating of any president in modern history dating back toDwight Eisenhower.[734]Until April 23, according to figures compiled byFiveThirtyEight, Biden's approval rating stood at 42.3 percent, a slight improvement from the sub-40 percent level reached in the summer of 2022, but still well below the peak of 53 percent when he began his presidency in January 2021.[735]
An October 30, 2023, poll by theArab American Institute, support for Biden amongArab Americans dropped from 59% in 2020 to 17%.[736][737] The drop in support has been attributed to the administration's handling of theGaza war.[738][739]
According toGallup, in July 2024, Biden's approval rating dropped to 36%, the lowest of his presidency, prior to his decision to end his re-election campaign; his highest approval rating dated back to 57% in April 2021.[740][741]
Biden has been interviewed for several news outlets and appeared on severallate-night talk shows throughout his presidency.
In December 2021, Biden appeared onThe Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon where they discussed "hisBuild Back Better Plan, the importance of his bipartisan friendship with the lateSen. Bob Dole, rejecting extremism and getting Americans vaccinated against COVID-19."[742]
In June 2022, Biden appeared onJimmy Kimmel Live! where he discussed "27 school shootings in America in 2022, why he believes nothing has been done so far about gun violence, an overwhelming amount of Americans supporting background checks, meeting with families after thetragic events in Uvalde, Texas, the idea of passing an Executive Order, the strides made in regard to Climate Change,Joe Manchin &Kyrsten Sinema's voting record, housing, food and gas prices being very high and what he intends to do about inflation, the negative impact that the pandemic has had on families and the need for mental health care, being optimistic about this generation of young people, changes in the press, his process for flushing documents down the toilets, what his intentions are if Roe v Wade does in fact get overturned, and his hopes for America."[743]
In July 2022, comedian and host ofThe Late Late Show,James Corden, visited the White House and spoke with Biden, Jen Psaki, and White House custodian staff. He also gave a fakepress briefing in theJames S. Brady Press Briefing Room.[744]
Biden has also been interviewed byDrew Barrymore,Jake Tapper,Jonathan Capehart,Yonit Levi,George Stephanopoulos,David Muir,Scott Pelley,Lester Holt, andNorah O'Donnell, forThe Drew Barrymore Show,[745]CNN,[746]MSNBC,[747]Channel 12 in Israel,[748]ABC News,[749][750]60 Minutes,[751]NBC,[752] andCBS News,[753] as well as a solo interview byHeather Cox Richardson[754] andBrian Tyler Cohen.[755] Notably, Biden has not sat down withFox News, despite its popularity in the United States.[756]
News outlets have criticized Biden for only doing a limited amount of interviews during his tenure. Biden participated in 23 interviews in his first 100 days, compared to 95 for Donald Trump, 187 for Barack Obama, 60 forGeorge W. Bush, 64 forBill Clinton, 70 forGeorge H. W. Bush, and 78 forRonald Reagan.[757]
Biden was declared the winner by media organizations after securing enough electoral votes.
Major media outlets projected Biden as the president-elect Saturday.
But 13 days after the 2020 election and more than a week after all major media outlets called the race for Joe Biden, with Trump having absolutely no chance of getting a second term, Murphy has refused to acknowledge that Biden won, making it that much more difficult for the president-elect and his team to get a head start on crucial matters like a pandemic that has killed more than 245,000 people in the U.S. so far and stands to kill a lot more if no one does anything about it until January 2021.
The answer is no, and I think you rightly note that this is different than what occurred in 2000 [in the Al Gore vs. George W. Bush race], there is a consensus certainly on the media side and with the states that are at play.
Under President Joe Biden's 2022 climate and health legislation called the Inflation Reduction Act, Medicare was empowered to negotiate prices with pharmaceutical companies on a limited number of medications.
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{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)Housing costs just posted one of their largest monthly gains in decades, and many economists expect them to loom large in inflation figures over the next year heading into the 2022 midterm elections. It's not just economists — the Federal Reserve Bank of New York said in research released Monday that Americans on average expect rents to rise 10.1 percent over the next year, the highest reading in the survey's history.
Fed Chair Jerome Powell in testimony this week said a growing housing shortage is likely to result in continued housing inflation.
But when it comes to the single biggest driver of runaway prices, Washington's hands are mostly tied. Skyrocketing housing costs may create even bigger problems for the administration going forward than oil and food price spikes, which are the result of sudden and unforeseen — but probably temporary — events. That's because there's no clear end in sight for shelter inflation.
Conducted July 5–9...of the 50 who answered questions about Trump and Biden 56% said inflation would be higher under another Trump term than a Biden term, versus 16% who said the opposite...Fifty-one percent of economists anticipate larger federal budget deficits under a Trump presidency, compared to 22% under Biden.
In his first days in office, President Biden has devoted more attention to issues of racial equity than any new president since Lyndon B. Johnson, a focus that has cheered civil rights activists and drawn early criticism from conservatives. In his inauguration speech, the president pledged to defeat 'white supremacy', using a burst of executive orders on Day 1 to declare that 'advancing equity, civil rights, racial justice and equal opportunity is the responsibility of the whole of our government.'
The White House in October said it would expedite the delivery of two [National Advanced Surface to Air Missile] Systems.
4 hour Ukraine Defense Contact Group, 7th meeting, with 50 nations 47:21
The months of complex negotiations, near misses and high-stakes diplomacy that resulted in the largest prisoner exchange since the Cold War and freedom for a Wall Street Journal reporter.
President Joe Biden called on Americans to "lower the temperature" of political rhetoric in an address from the Oval Office on Sunday night, asking for more respectful discourse and civility in the wake of the assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump.
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