What Has Joe Biden Done As President? ~ A Full List of His Accomplishments by Oliver Willis ~ Happy Veteran’s Day

What Has Joe Biden Done As President?

As of October 2021 Domestic Policy, Biden negotiated an agreement to open California ports to 24-7 operation to alleviate supply chain bottlenecks.

Biden signed a law providing a cost-of-living adjustment for veterans disability benefits.

Biden signed the K-12 Cybersecurity Act which protects sensitive information maintained by schools across the country.

Biden declassified previously secret 9/11 documents.

Biden directed Treasury and HUD to implement policies to increase the supply of affordable housing.

Biden signed legislation that provided Congressional Gold Medal to the Harlem Hellfighters, the Black soldiers who served in World War 1.

Biden restarted posting White House visitor logs after Donald Trump had stopped doing so.

Biden ordered multiple agencies to enact policies that will increase the supply of affordable of homes in America.

Biden signed a law expanding access for veterans to therapy dogs and service dogs.

Biden cancelled student loan debt for more than 300,000 Americans with severe disabilities (over $5.8 billion worth of debt).

Biden increased food stamp benefits by 25% to directly help needy families.

Biden canceled $55.6 million in student debt for students of for-profit schools.

Biden has the narrowest pay gap between women and men in the White House of any president.

The Biden administration released rules that protect patients from unexpected medical bills.

Attorney General Merrick Garland ordered a halt on federal death penalty executions.

Biden signed the American Rescue Plan (aka COVID-19 Stimulus) providing $1.9 trillion of relief to the American economy.

Biden signed an executive order to make the Department of Justice work on reducing the use of “ghost guns.”

Biden signed an executive order expanding access to legal representation for the poor.

Biden (and Vice President Kamala Harris) released their 2021 tax returns, after Trump refused to release his for his entire four-year term.

Biden ordered the Department of Justice to produce a rule clarifying when a device marketed as a gun brace turns a pistol effectively into a short-barreled rifle.

Biden told the Department of Justice to produce model “red flag” legislation for all 50 states so that they could enact such laws against gun violence.

Biden increased the minimum wage for thousands of federal contractors to $15/hr.

Stimulus payments from the American Rescue Plan were sent via direct deposit just 24 hours after the plan was signed into law.

Biden directed $2.5 billion in funding to specifically address America’s mental illness and addiction crisis.

American Rescue Plan extended a 15% increase to SNAP funding, helping children who qualify for free lunch.

The American Rescue Plan restores funding to veterans programs, including programs to assist veterans’ mental health, that had been cut under Trump.

The American Rescue Plan adds boosted funding to the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare), providing new options for people who need health insurance and lowering costs for people already insured.

American Rescue Plan provides money to the airline industry, preventing tens of thousands of aviation jobs who will no longer be furloughed.

Socially disadvantaged (including Black, Latino, Asian-American, and Native American) farmers will get $4 billion from the American Rescue Plan in debt relief, while another $1 billion will create a racial equity commission.

Biden will be nominating three Democrats to the USPS board of governors, which will lead to the removal of Postmaster Louis DeJoy.

Biden issued an executive order that will make American supply chains less reliant on foreign companies.

Biden revoked a Trump executive order mandating stricter work rules on people seeking welfare help.

Biden restored labor rights to workers at the Department of Defense.

Biden got rid of a Trump order that used COVID as an excuse for deregulation.

Biden undid a Trump-era mandate that said federal buildings had to be constructed in classical style.

Biden revoked a Trump order that suspended federal funds from going to purported “anarchist jurisdictions.”

Biden got rid of conservative officials stashed at the Voice of America and other broadcasting-related entities of the government.

Biden issued an executive order requiring political appointees to take an ethics pledge.

Biden signed pension relief, keeping more than 100 pension plans solvent and providing retirement benefits to millions.

Regarding Immigration/Border, Biden ended workplace raids that targeted undocumented immigrants.

Biden raised the cap on refugees being admitted to the United States to 62,500 from the 15,000 set by Trump.

Biden terminated contracts with companies to construct the border wall.

Biden reversed a Trump ruling and extended protected status to 100,000 Haitians.

Biden revoked Trump’s order banning Muslims from certain countries entering the U.S.

Biden reinstated the Central American Minors Program, a program begun under President Obama that allows minors from El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras to reunite with a parent living lawfully in the United States.

Biden terminated a 2018 Trump agreement that put up roadblocks to families trying to help undocumented immigrant children.

Biden stopped ICE from targeting undocumented immigrants at COVID-19 vaccination sites.

Biden will allow migrant families that were separated under Trump to be reunified in the United States or their country of origin.

Biden revoked a Trump executive order suspending the issuing of visas that used the pandemic as an excuse to do so.

Biden canceled the National State of Emergency which had allowed Trump to divert federal funds to his border wall project.

Biden changed ICE rules on arrests and detentions so fewer people are kept away from their families.

On Climate Change, Biden ordered the EPA and the Department of Transportation to rollout increased fuel emission standards that will lead to 40-50 percent of US cars being electric by 2030.

Biden allocated $5 billion from FEMA for communities affected by climate-related disasters.

Biden returned the United States to the Paris Climate Accord.

Biden revoked the permit for the Keystone XL pipeline.

Biden blocked drilling at the Alaska’s Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR).

Biden ordered a stop to the issuing of new leases for oil and gas exploration on public lands.

On Human Rights, Biden was the first president to proclaim Indigenous Peoples’ Day.

Biden signed legislation increasing the amount that can be spent providing assistance to Americans returning from Afghanistan from $1 million to $10 million.

Under Biden, the U.S. State Department added a third gender option to passports.

Biden appointed a Special Envoy, Jessica Stern, to advance the Human Rights of LGBTQI+ Persons.

Biden had the Health and Human Services Department (HHS) recognize that laws forbidding sex discrimination in health care also apply to LGBTQ+ people, reversing a Trump’s policy.

Biden rejoined the United Nations Human Rights Council, after America left it under Trump.

Biden withdrew the federal government’s support of an anti-transgender lawsuit which sought to block transgender girls from participating in sports.

Biden extended federal fair housing protections to LGBTQ Americans.

Biden created a Gender Policy Council at the White House, rolling back the Trump administration decision to end a similar program under Obama.

Biden has more women and minorities as part of his Cabinet and key advisers than any other president.

Biden raised the cap on admitting refugees to 125,000 after the number had been dramatically lowered by Trump.

Regarding COVID-19, Biden had the Department of Defense double the number of military health teams assisting hospitals with COVID-19.

Biden expanded COVID-19 Economic Injury Disaster Loan programs.

Biden ordered the TSA to double fines for travelers who refuse to mask.

Biden instructed the Department of Education to pay teachers or school officials who had their pay withheld for instituting mask mandates.

Biden required all educators in Head Start to be vaccinated.

Biden ordered the Department of Labor to require employers with 100 workers or more to give paid time off for vaccination.

Biden signed an executive order requiring all executive branch federal employees to be vaccinated.

Biden ordered the Department of Labor to require companies with 100 or more employees to ensure full vaccination.

Biden is requiring that the staffs of nursing homes are vaccinated or they will lose their federal funding.

Biden extended the pause on student loan repayment until January 31 2022 due to COVID-19.

Biden directed every state, along with all tribes and territories, to make all adults eligible for a COVID-19 vaccine by May 1 2021.

Biden invoked the Defense Production Act to accelerate vaccine development. This led to enough vaccine being produced to have supply for every adult American by May 2021 instead of the original date of July 2021.

Biden brokered an arrangement between Merck and Johnson & Johnson to manufacture the single-dose vaccine.

The Biden administration will deliver more than 25 million masks to health centers and food pantries.

Biden directed the U.S. to donate $4 billion to international vaccine distribution efforts, as he promised during the campaign.

Biden secured 200 million extra doses of vaccine for a total of 300 million available vaccine doses by July 2021.

Biden deployed over 1,000 active duty troops to assist with vaccinations.

Biden invoked the Defense Production Act to make vaccines and PPE (personal protective equipment) like masks.

Biden sent more than 100 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine to countries who need it.

On National Security, 37,000 people were evacuated from Kabul, Afghanistan, by the US military in 8 days.

Biden signed legislation awarding Congressional Gold Medals to Capitol Police who responded to the January 6 attack on the Capitol.

Biden barred Donald Trump from receiving intelligence briefings, citing his erratic behavior and the possible danger to U.S. security.

Biden told Russian president Vladimir Putin the United States would no longer “roll over” for his aggressive actions.

Biden rescinded the Trump administration’s decision to designate Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen as a terrorist group. The designation was widely criticized by international organizations at the time.

Regarding the Judiciary, Biden threw out 32 last-minute nominations offered by the Trump administration. Included in the rejections were judicial appointments supported by conservatives.

Regarding the Environment, Biden expanded the Bears Ears national monument (reversing Trump), restored the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, and restored protection of the Northeast Canyons and Seamounts Marine National Monument.

Biden ended large-scale logging at Tongass National Forest in Alaska.

Biden delayed a Trump administration rule that experts said could have led to the unnecessary death of “billions” of birds.

On Foreign Policy, Biden ended the 20-year long war in Afghanistan, evacuating over 120,000 people from the country.

Biden created a Leaders Summit for Democracy, with the first meeting scheduled for December 2021Biden sanctioned members of the Belarus government for their actions subverting democracy.

The U.S. formally turned over Bagram base in Afghanistan to the government there.

Biden sanctioned Russia for their attempts at election interference and for the SolarWinds hacking attack.

Biden had the United States rejoin the World Health Organization (WHO).

Biden levied sanctions against Russian officials in retaliation for the poisoning of opposition leader Alexei Navalny.

One of the first political bloggers in the world, Oliver Willis has operated OliverWillis.com since 2000. Contributor at Media Matters for America and The American Independent. Follow on Twitter at @owillis.

Thank you Oliver Willis.

The Problem With The Herd Immunity Experiment ~ All The Deaths We Have Experienced In The Wars In Korea, Vietnam, Afghanistan, Iraq Are Only Half Of What We Have Currently Lost In This Covid-19 Pandemic

Six to Seven million people are expected to die in the United States of America alone in the Herd Immunity exeriment. Start the healing with healing measures of social distancing and wearing masks.

The Grand Old Party, GOP, admits it is following a Herd Immunity track as a “cure” for COVID 19. First of all, please realize that this is a fringe medicine concept. There is no cure for COVID-19, also known as SARS Co2, a highly contagious and deadly coronavirus. There are no vaccines currently available for the COVID-19 pandemic and are not expected to be available until next summer.

This means that since there are 331 million people in the US and experts say 70 percent of the population would have to get the virus for herd immunity to work, 231.7 million of us would have to get it. Since the current death rate is from 2.6 to 3 percent of all those who get the virus, 6 to 7 million of us would die. So if this is your idea for a cure, you might want to say good-bye to your parents and grandparents now. Or maybe vote for someone who has a better plan.

Children do get this deadly virus and many have already died from it. They can also be carriers, spreading COVID-19 to others even if they show no symptoms. Taking temperatures and having fevers is a symptom of COVID-19 that may not show up for 14 days, while continuing to spread this virus.

There are some Utah hospitals now at the point of needing to decide to give better care to the younger sick patients, hoping for better survival rates for the young.

Masks and social distancing are proven methods to bring a country to be COVID-19 free, like New Zealand. It’s called delayed gratification. Delayed gratification is a mature response to social dilemmas. By doing the right thing now, we can move past the juvenile approach to wearing mask and social distancing adult temper tantrums.

Remember, it is a secret vote when you cast your ballot. Even if you once voted for the current President, if you want to keep your health insurance including coverage for pre-existing conditions which include coverage for COVID-19, you can vote for Biden/Harris and it will be covered. Please know that the Affordable Health Care Act is on the chopping block in November on the Supreme Court docket, where it is expected to be cut altogether of the incumbent gets back in.

All human life is precious. We all matter. Human life is not expendable in a civilized society.

Namaste

So How Is Your Inner Child Doing? Updated 5/21/20

It’s as if we are all having flash backs to the 1970s. It would be helpful to re-read M. Scott Peck’s “The Road Less Traveled” from 1978. It very well could be the antidote to our grown up issues with our temper tantrum inner child. I can hear the echo of The Eagles’ hit song, “Get Over It,” as the remedy to “kick its little ass.”

How IS your inner child doing?

The Road Less Traveled is a timeless book on the benefits of delayed gratification as a means to living a more fulfilling adult life. It may also be the only remedy to living life at all these days.

Has your inner child been catching your attention lately?

Is your inner child running your life much to the chaos that only a two-year-old running the house can bring?

How are you with delayed gratification of anything?

I ask this question given the times we are living in right now. We are in the midst of a worldwide coronavirus pandemic, which has no known cure, is highly contagious, is transferable from person to person 14 to 21 days prior to any symptoms, and is not gone in many parts of the world. Two days ago when this article was first posted, the country with the worst batting record of winning the global pandemic is the United States of America, with over 1,490,022 cases, which is an increase of 18,937. These numbers continue to increase minute by minute. As I update this post 2 days later, currently the confirmed coronavirus cases in the USA total 1,551,680, which is an increase of 23,285 cases over yesterday, and an increase in deaths totaling 93,434, an increase of 1,518.

In Massachusetts, for example, three days ago confirmed COVID-19 cases were 80,497, an increase of 1,165 from the previous day. Today, confirmed cases total 88,970, an increase of 1,045 over yesterday. Deaths from COVID-19 today are 93,434, an increase of 1,518 over yesterday.

I’ve heard so many people say, “Stop telling the confirmed case numbers and the deaths. That is so depressing. Let’s start talking about only positive things. I’m am depressed, you know. I must concentrate on other things.”

As a holistic counselor, I have taught about the power of positive thinking in every session I ever held, for years. But there is a difference between denying reality by focusing on something that does not solve the problem and doing something positive about it to arrive at a solution. You and I cannot arrive at the solution if we do not look at the huge, extremely contagious problem with no known cure. Wishing it would go away will not make it go away. It will make it stay around forever. Saying, “It is not happening,” does not make it not happen.

Many states are in the same boat on the river of “denial.” That used to be a funny joke. Now it is a sad state of reality.

As a nation, we seem to be unable to do the adult discipline of dealing with the problem head on. If only pointing fingers, blaming, ignoring, and spinning tales could get us out of this one. Even though it was three months late in the game, we did manage to begin social distancing, and wearing masks and gloves, at least some of us did that, and some of us only after a penalty of $300 was assessed for those of us who stamped our feet and still said, “No I won’t.”

But that did not stop 315,822 humans from dying. Some will say that number is too high because some people who died in the hospital, who had COVID-19 really died from having heart attacks and respiratory and other failures. Even some of the people that denied that this coronavirus was nothing more than a bad flu and was a hoax also died from COVID-19.

However, the reality is that COVID-19 weakens hearts and lungs, and those heart attacks and deaths from lung issues were most likely from COVID-19. Also, we only know about confirmed cases. Only one percent of the population in the United States has been tested. The reality is that the number of people walking around with COVID-19 is far greater.

What’s a person to do?

We have spent two whole months social distancing, and wearing masks, and some of us wearing gloves too. Some of us are looking at the same numbers and saying, “Enough is enough. We cannot go on like this. The businesses are hurting. People need paychecks.”

The answer in some states is to rush to open up businesses before the curve has really flattened. As long as any state is having increased confirmed cases, the situation is getting worse, not better. Some states have better track records of how they limited this killer virus in the first place.

Common sense is needed at the helm. If your particular state or country determines it is ready to open up to business, consider not allowing your inner child to make decisions for you that could seriously shorten your life, or shorten the lives of those around you. Do check out the statistics for your country, state, county and city or town. Determine for yourself what guidelines you want to live by.

You only get one life. Protect your inner child.

Because You Deserve To Feel Better