Biden to Address COVID-19, Economic Recovery, Racial Equality, and Climate Change First

Issues That Expanded US Conflicts Over 4 Years Addressed
Evaluated as Top Priority for Social Integration

[Asia Economy New York=Correspondent Baek Jong-min] President-elect Joe Biden has identified the response to the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19), economic recovery, racial equality, and climate change as his top priorities. These are issues that greatly intensified conflicts in the United States during the four years of the Donald Trump administration.

It is interpreted as an urgent matter that cannot be delayed any longer for social integration, and there are expectations that policies will be implemented more actively and earlier than in any other field. To this end, the Biden administration faces an inevitable situation of issuing a series of executive orders to overturn policies enacted by the Trump administration.

On the 8th (local time), Simon Sanders, an advisor to the Biden campaign, said in an interview with CNN, when asked, "What actions will President-elect Biden take on his first day in office on January 20 next year?" that "the president-elect will fulfill the promises made during the election process."

In response, CNN predicted that a flood of executive orders reversing Trump administration policies would be issued. The Washington Post also forecasted that President-elect Biden would confirm the fundamentally changed policy priorities through a series of executive orders on his first day in office.

Earlier, President-elect Biden declared that he would rejoin the Paris Climate Agreement on his first day in office. The withdrawal from the World Health Organization (WHO), announced by the Trump administration this year, is also considered a matter likely to be reversed.

Among the series of executive orders, the most urgent task is ultimately the response to COVID-19. The COVID-19 response is already a crisis situation that the Biden administration faces.

President-elect Biden won the election by attacking the Trump administration's failure to respond to COVID-19.

The response has already begun. Before the launch of the COVID-19 task force (TF) on the 9th, President-elect Biden appointed former Public Health Service Director Vivek Murthy and former Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Commissioner David Kessler as co-chairs of the COVID-19 TF. On the 9th, an additional 10 members are scheduled to be announced, and the 12-member TF is expected to begin full-scale operations.

The recent rapid spread of COVID-19 is seen by many as a factor that will determine the success or failure of the Biden administration. The Biden campaign has also announced that it will use the National Defense Authorization Act, which President Trump also invoked, to take stronger measures against COVID-19. Preparations for vaccines, which are unlikely to be completed under the Trump administration, are also indispensable.

Kate Bedingfield, deputy chief of the Biden campaign, emphasized in a press conference with NBC on the same day, "The people want this country to move forward quickly," stressing the need for a swift transition and policy response, and added, "President-elect Biden and Vice President-elect Harris have the opportunity to control the virus and revive the economy."

The issue of economic recovery cannot be viewed separately from overcoming COVID-19. Although the U.S. economy showed a record growth rate of 33.1% annualized in the third quarter, it still falls short of pre-COVID-19 levels. The unemployment rate has dropped to 6.9%, but employment recovery remains stagnant, and COVID-19 is spreading rapidly. Concerns persist that the economic crisis could resurface at any time.

According to Johns Hopkins University, the number of new COVID-19 infections in the U.S. has exceeded 120,000 for three consecutive days. This is the highest level ever recorded. It is also a negative situation that infections are spreading in areas that did not suffer severe COVID-19 damage during the spring and summer.

Another key pillar for economic recovery is the passage of an additional stimulus bill. The conflict between the Trump administration and the Democratic Party over the scale of the additional stimulus package remains unresolved, which is negative. Support for student loan repayment deferrals, social security for the elderly, free COVID-19 treatment and paid sick leave, and aid to New York State, which has been severely affected by COVID-19, are likely to be blocked by the Republican-led Senate, making responses through various executive orders inevitable.

The Biden campaign has also pressured for cooperation from the Trump administration. According to the Associated Press, Jen Psaki, an advisor to the Biden campaign, demanded on her Twitter that the U.S. General Services Administration promptly recognize Biden as the president-elect. The General Services Administration must take action to secure funds for the transition team’s operation and to begin drawing up policy plans for the next four years.

Advisor Psaki argued, "It depends on the government’s clear and swift signal that the national security and economic interests of the United States will comply with the will of the people and proceed with a smooth and peaceful transfer of power."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.