Last week, Joe Biden deftly used his tiny “majority” in the Senate to, presumably, make fundamental changes that, combined with legislation passed early in his term, ensure that Biden’s first term in office is one that makes fundamental and vital changes to the nation and thus the most consequential term in recent memory.
When President Obama signed the ACA into law, it was, as Joe Biden famously said, “A big f**king deal.” But that, and saving the auto industry, all while keeping banks afloat, hit the limit on what Obama could do after he lost control of Congress for good.
George W. Bush did a fantastic job in the first few weeks after 9-11. But other than that, he merely passed a massive tax break and started two awful wars, which were damned consequential but not in this sense. He didn’t put together any big domestic programs.
Trump got far less done. He signed a tax break that any Republican would sign. He appointed justices that any Republican would appoint. He cut red tape that any President would cut facing a pandemic.
Subject to the Republicans not making fundamental changes to democracy itself, Manchin’s turn-around on Biden’s reconciliation package looks to line Biden’s legacy up as a “game-changing” president.
Axios does a fantastic job summing up the achievements and then gets into specifics here:
President Biden has slowly but substantially re-engineered significant parts of the American economy — achievements obscured by COVID, inflation and broad disenchantment.
- Why it matters: Love it or hate it, piece by piece, Biden has pumped billions into infrastructure projects, helped revive the domestic semiconductor industry, and accelerated U.S. viral research and vaccine production capabilities. He might be on the cusp of the biggest domestic clean-energy plan in U.S. history.
Between the lines: Interestingly, it all has an America First twist — drilling more oil here … fixing infrastructure here … moving chip-making here … increasing manufacturing jobs here … creating vaccines here.
There is no doubt that had there been two “real Democrats” in office, rather than the corporate slaves that are Manchin and Sinema, Biden would have passed the “New Deal” of the 21st Century (Including voting rights), one so big that it would make fundamental changes to the world itself. But Biden didn’t have two real Democrats and was limited to what he got. As shown above, he got a lot.
And, unlike many of the presidents listed above, Biden got programs that would not be “obvious” to any Democrat. Once in office, Biden embraced the “far left, FDR” comparisons. Build Back Better was so big and bold that the fraction Biden got is mighty. While Fox News calls Biden “addled” or “feeble,” or “having demential,” Biden is and was so wily that it’s hard to imagine anyone without 35 years of experience getting it through as he did.
@JasonMiciak believes a day without learning is a day not lived. He is a political writer, features writer, author, and attorney. He is a Canadian-born dual citizen who spent his teen and college years in the Pacific Northwest and has since lived in seven states. He now enjoys life as a single dad of a young girl, writing from the beaches of the Gulf Coast. He loves crafting his flower pots, cooking, and currently studies philosophy of science, religion, and non-math principles behind quantum mechanics and cosmology. Please feel free to contact for speaking engagements or any concerns.
