By Katherine Mueller
Executive Opinion Editor
The first year of Joe Biden’s presidency has shown to be a step up from the previous administration. Throughout this first year, he has continually procured policies pertinent for America’s conditions. The president’s first year could go for some improvement, but it has generally been a success.
Biden assumed the presidency during a time when the United States was still reeling from the Jan. 6 insurrection and struggling with a winter spike of COVID-19 cases. Since then, Biden’s administration has faced many highs and lows and has moved in both positive and negative directions, creating generally mixed feelings from the masses on Biden’s first year as president.
One major success from the Biden administration has been the attack on COVID-19. Over the past year, mask mandates have been kept in many states, and over 64% of Americans have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19, according to USA Facts. Aggressive campaigning for
vaccinations and masking has been appropriate, contrasting the previous administration and its less friendly stance toward masks as a political statement.
Possibly Biden’s most ambitious proposal was his Build Back Better plan, a plan with a strong figure, even if it ended up lacking the legs to run. According to the White House, the Build Back Better groundwork would have given middle class families immense support in providing
affordable child care and education, while additionally investing in affordable health care and earth-conscious technology to pave the path to a cleaner future. However, the bill is currently at great risk of fatality as the Senate’s Republican force struggles to pass it through. All in all,
creating the bill was a wise and timely decision with highly beneficial policies, though it should have had modifications to make it more realistic and passable in the Senate.
Near the end of 2021, Biden threw in a radical plan to update America’s infrastructure. Proposing the use of increased corporate taxation in order to fund the infrastructure updates, the Biden administration had planned to rebuild thousands of miles of roadway and rehabilitate key American bridges, according to the New York Times. Additionally, it is set to provide a
sizable number of jobs to those in need. In the long run, the benefits of this plan will reach a vast number of Americans, and due to its passing, has proven to be one of the biggest successes during Biden’s time as commander-in-chief.
Despite the fact that Biden’s reaction against COVID-19 was appropriately reactionary, many argue against the idea, as infections have been rising at a supersonic rate and continue to take lives every day. However, with the astronomically high spread rate of the Omicron variant, Americans should not expect the administration to have all the answers regarding the future of
COVID-19. Biden’s first year in office was by no means perfect and has definite room for improvement in other areas. However, what he’s accomplished so far will set the scene for more progressive improvements in the future.
Within just the first year of his presidency, Biden has pushed the U.S. through both the bad times and the good, with his first year as president being a general success. In the coming years, the Biden administration should focus on setting more achievable goals that bring change
in a quicker manner.
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