When he faces a joint session of Congress today to report on his first 100 days in office, US President Joe Biden could very well be able to claim that he achieved much more in the first chapter of his presidency than his predecessor Donald Trump did. However, he will fall short of most expectations.
While the US President has fulfilled his promise to deliver 100 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine in his first 100 days (the administration actually delivered 200 million), and managed to get Congress approve his massive $1.9 trillion plan to support the economy, including a $1,400 checks for ordinary Americans, it is apparent that those were the easiest tasks on his wide-ranging agenda.
Biden has raised the ceiling of expectations so high he will be feeling ever short today as report to Congress today. He may need to remind himself, before the nation today, about the top priorities. The Iran deal will certainly be way down on that list
Biden has clearly spent so much energy in his first 100 days on two issues; the coronavirus pandemic and the Iran nuclear deal, although no agreement is reached yet. It was one of his campaign promises to rejoin the deal, which was exited by President Trump in 2017.
But the energy and resources spent on this singular issue, while neglecting more central issues to the American voter has resulted in Biden’s low approval rating for his 100 days.
It is true that the relatively low rating is far better than what Trump had ever gotten. It is also true that Biden has succeeded in scrapping dozens of the former President’s policies through executive orders — such as the travel ban on travellers from Muslim countries, and rejoined the Paris Climate Accord.
Governance on track
It is also true that some observers argue that he has restored normal governance rather quickly. But he has yet to start on major issues that made up most of his campaign agenda, mainly the traditional Democratic priorities like expanding access to health care, gun control, police reforms (in the wake of the conviction of former Minnesota police officer Derek Chauvin in the murder of George Floyd),
especially with the recent surge in the number of migrant children crossing the US southern border, most of whom are crammed into unsuitable Border Patrol custody, a situation Biden himself had strongly criticised during the Trump presidency.
And it could be safely said that the Biden’s administration’s focus on trying to accommodate Iran’s demands outweighs other priorities. The President recently announced another foreign policy decision; a full withdrawal from Afghanistan.
Biden has raised the ceiling of expectations so high he will be feeling ever short today as report to Congress today. He may need to remind himself, before the nation today, about the top priorities. The Iran deal will certainly be way down on that list.
