Joe Biden's First 100 Days in Office - Megathread

[DocWatts]

Here's a Vox article outlining what's likely the final version of the Covid relief Bill:

https://www.vox.com/2021/3/5/22315614/covid-19-stimulus-bill-economic-relief-coronavirus-pandemic

Tldr;

• $1,400 stimulus checks
• $300-a-week boost to unemployment insurance
• A boost to the child tax credit
• $170 billion towards helping schools re-open
• $350 billion to State Governments
• Tax Subsidies for Individuals purchasing Health Care through the Affordable Care Act 
• Tens of billions for Public Health directly related to Covid 19

Not Included: $15 federal minimum wage

____________________________________

Edited March 5, 2021 by DocWatts

[Hardkill]

7 minutes ago, DocWatts said:

Here's a Vox article outlining what's likely the final version of the Covid relief Bill:

https://www.vox.com/2021/3/5/22315614/covid-19-stimulus-bill-economic-relief-coronavirus-pandemic

Tldr;

• $1,400 stimulus checks
• $300-a-week boost to unemployment insurance
• A boost to the child tax credit
• $170 billion towards helping schools re-open
• $350 billion to State Governments
• Tax Subsidies for Individuals purchasing Health Care through the Affordable Care Act 
• Tens of billions for Public Health directly related to Covid 19

Not Included: $15 federal minimum wage

____________________________________

Progressives and the majority of US citizens around the country are super pissed about the $15 minimum wage issue now.

A lot of democrats, especially progressives are getting really worried that if the $15 federal minimum wage does not gets passed then the Democratic Party will be in grave jeopardy of losing a lot of seats in both the House and Senate after the 2022 midterm election. 

[Parththakkar12]

Out of curiosity - If your minimum-wage becomes $15, does this mean less minimum-wage jobs? Do the corporations have to save on the $5 somehow? Leo does keep saying that the corporations have obscene amounts of money, so maybe it's not that big a deal. What do you think?

[DocWatts]

21 minutes ago, Parththakkar12 said:

Out of curiosity - If your minimum-wage becomes $15, does this mean less minimum-wage jobs? Do the corporations have to save on the $5 somehow? Leo does keep saying that the corporations have obscene amounts of money, so maybe it's not that big a deal. What do you think?

It's my understanding that in there may be a small reduction in the number of low wage jobs, but this is more than offset by increased wages for people making less than the median wage (ie almost half of the country, the median wage here being only about $16/hour), and also by the number of people lifted out of poverty by an increase to the minimum wage.

[Lyubov]

I support raising the minimum wage. I just wonder what effects it would have on the current economy. would we see a lot of small businesses shuttered because of it?

[NatureB]

$15/hr is a step in the right direction. We have to bring people's standard of living, which has not really occurred for the general population in over a generation.

[Hardkill]

Biden finally signed the COVID relief bill after both chambers of congress finished getting it passed.

[DocWatts]

As disappointing as it was for the $15 minimum wage not included in the $1.9 Trillion Covid Relief Package, it's also fair to give due credit and point out that this is arguably the best piece of major Legislation to be passed in at least ten or fifteen years. Granted, this is more due to how dysfunctional our Legislative system has become and how shameless many in Power have been in passing Bills that offer almost nothing of value for ordinary Americans; still, hard to argue that compared to business as usual this is anything but a win.

Prior legislation of a comparable scope generally tended to disproportionally benefit the wealthiest people in society, which is why its commendable that both working and middle class people will benefit from this in tangible ways.

The increase to the Child Tax Credit alone is projected to cut child poverty in half.

Edited March 15, 2021 by DocWatts

[Opo]

1 hour ago, Husseinisdoingfine said:

 

Pls no conspiracies here. 

Love you. 

[Hardkill]

The Biden Administration first achieved it's original goal of having 100 million vaccines administered within his first 100 days in office after his 58th day in office. Immediately afterwards, his administration doubled that goal to 200 million vaccines to be administered within his first 100 days in office.

Now, as of yesterday, the administration reached that new goal!

[Hardkill]

The Biden Administration is really struggling with handling the southern border crisis:

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/biden-first-100-days-immigration-policy/

[DocWatts]

Biden Proposes $1.8 Trillion Family Care Package, which includes:

• Child care : $225 billion
• Universal Pre-Kindergarten : $200 billion
• Paid Family Leave (up to 12 weeks) : $225 billion
• Free Community College : $100 billion
• Extension of Child Tax Credits
• Doubles the Capital Gains Tax from %20 to %40

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.washingtonpost.com/us-policy/2021/04/24/biden-families-plan-tax/%3foutputType=amp

 

Overall this looks to be a great bill, though of course I'm waiting to hear rebuttals by Conservatives as to why it's a bad idea to invest in the American people, or to pass Legislation that improves people's lives. 

I guess providing support to struggling families must not be part of those cherished 'family values' right wingers like to drone on about.

[DocWatts]

So it looks like we're 100 days in, and I'd be interested to hear what everyone's overall impressions are so far.

For myself, my overall impression is that Biden has (so far) exceeded my expectations. In fact, I'd go so far as to say he might be the best President I've seen during my life; which might sound like a backhanded compliment since the US hasn't exactly been gifted with extraordinary leadership over the last 3 to 4 decades. But there's something to be said about someone competent successfully pushing for incremental Reforms.

Seems like he's taken to heart a number of lessons that held back the Obama administration. He hasn't wasted much time trying to negotiate with Bad Faith Republicans. He's been willing to be ambitious with Policy Proposals in the midst of a National Crisis. He's been willing to use Tools like Budget Reconciliation to bypass partisan gridlock and actually get Legislation passed.

Obviously this overall positive assessment is highly tentative and subject to change; but so far I gotta say the Biden administration has been knocking it out of the park so far.

[Hardkill]

On 4/29/2021 at 5:41 AM, DocWatts said:

Biden Proposes $1.8 Trillion Family Care Package, which includes:

• Child care : $225 billion
• Universal Pre-Kindergarten : $200 billion
• Paid Family Leave (up to 12 weeks) : $225 billion
• Free Community College : $100 billion
• Extension of Child Tax Credits
• Doubles the Capital Gains Tax from %20 to %40

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.washingtonpost.com/us-policy/2021/04/24/biden-families-plan-tax/%3foutputType=amp

 

Overall this looks to be a great bill, though of course I'm waiting to hear rebuttals by Conservatives as to why it's a bad idea to invest in the American people, or to pass Legislation that improves people's lives. 

I guess providing support to struggling families must not be part of those cherished 'family values' right wingers like to drone on about.

It would be fantastic if this got passed by Congress, but I skeptical about it because of the fact that conservative Dems like Joe Manchin and Kyrsten Sinema who don't want to eliminate or weaken the filibuster and Manchin is not inclined to use budget reconciliation again.

 

On 4/29/2021 at 6:13 AM, DocWatts said:

So it looks like we're 100 days in, and I'd be interested to hear what everyone's overall impressions are so far.

For myself, my overall impression is that Biden has (so far) exceeded my expectations. In fact, I'd go so far as to say he might be the best President I've seen during my life; which might sound like a backhanded compliment since the US hasn't exactly been gifted with extraordinary leadership over the last 3 to 4 decades. But there's something to be said about someone competent successfully pushing for incremental Reforms.

Seems like he's taken to heart a number of lessons that held back the Obama administration. He hasn't wasted much time trying to negotiate with Bad Faith Republicans. He's been willing to be ambitious with Policy Proposals in the midst of a National Crisis. He's been willing to use Tools like Budget Reconciliation to bypass partisan gridlock and actually get Legislation passed.

Obviously this overall positive assessment is highly tentative and subject to change; but so far I gotta say the Biden administration has been knocking it out of the park so far.

I think he has done very well overall. He's so far really cleaned house within his entire executive branch given how inefficient, disordered, and corrupt it became under Trump's administration.

Also, according to sources such as The Washington Post, "President Biden’s government transition, initially delayed by Donald Trump’s refusal to concede, early disputes over who would control Senate committees, and Trump’s second impeachment trial, has made up ground in comparison with his predecessors’ transitions. In March, Biden moved ahead of Trump and Barack Obama, who both waited more than a month longer to completely fill their Cabinet secretary slots. Biden is the first president in decades to secure those picks without a failed nominee, despite an evenly divided Senate."

Plus, in comparison to his predecessors, even though Biden wasn't able to get nearly as many appointees confirmed by the senate as Obama did during his first 100 days in office, he still ended up surpassing both Trump's and W. Bush's total number of appointees that they each got confirmed by the senate during each of their first 100 days in office. Bill Clinton got a total of 45 of his appointees confirmed by the senate within his first 100 days of office, whereas Biden got a total of 44 appointees his appointees confirmed by the senate within his first 100 days of office. So Biden definitely got close to Clinton's record. Obama had 68 of his appointees confirmed by the senate within his first 100 days, but Bush had only 33 of his appointees confirmed by the senate within his first 100 days, and Trump only had 25 of his appointees confirmed by the senate within his first 100 days. 

 

 

Edited April 30, 2021 by Hardkill

[ItsNick]

I'm not an American but I've been following it a bit.

Joe Biden appears to me more progressive than I had previously thought. I've read he even keeps good contact with Bernie.

 

Now of course Biden isn't perfect and it's important progressives keep pushing for important policies like M4A and Legalized Weed etc. but I do really think Joe Biden is the best president the US can have at the moment.

[Hardkill]

11 hours ago, ItsNick said:

I'm not an American but I've been following it a bit.

Joe Biden appears to me more progressive than I had previously thought. I've read he even keeps good contact with Bernie.

 

Now of course Biden isn't perfect and it's important progressives keep pushing for important policies like M4A and Legalized Weed etc. but I do really think Joe Biden is the best president the US can have at the moment.

Yeah, I totally agree.

Also guys, the Biden administration was finally able to get the southern border crisis situation under control by the very end of his first 100 days of office.

[Opo]

3 hours ago, Hardkill said:

Also guys, the Biden administration was finally able to get the southern border crisis situation under control by the very end of his first 100 days of office.

Come on you gotta give us some sources when you say something like this. 

[Hardkill]

2 hours ago, Opo said:

Come on you gotta give us some sources when you say something like this. 

https://www.cnn.com/2021/04/29/politics/border-patrol-unaccompanied-minors/index.html

https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/551109-biden-on-influx-of-migrants-at-the-southern-border-weve-now-gotten

https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/white-house/one-god-awful-mess-biden-lays-border-crisis-trump-admin-n1265908

There you go.