After four days of counting, Joe Biden reached the 270 electoral college votes he needed to beat Trump for the White House but what happens now. With extra complications this time due to Trumps legal challenges, we take a look at Mr Biden’s reforms and ideas for the exciting four years ahead as president and what that means for citizens both inside and outside the UK.
What a Biden victory means for Britain.
America’s allies are looking to Mr Biden to restore a sense of balance and normality that has been missing during the last four years. Biden dislikes Brexit, and his Irish heritage makes him particularly concerned with the Good Friday agreement.
British diplomats will have to relearn how to interact with the us administration. Bidens foreign team will be the same as Obamas, and I doubt that Johnson’s comments on Obamas “ancestral dislike of the British empire” will be forgotten easily. Despite this, the fundamentals of the us-UK relationship are have always been healthy and based on intelligence and military ties that defiantly won’t change.
In regards to foreign policy, Johnson’s team has a lot in common with Biden’s. Britain stood in support of the Iran nuclear deal despite Trump’s pressure. The White House may still be the ones to determine the outcome of a trade deal with the UK. It is thought that Biden has no desire to reward Brexit. However, difficulties still lie with the lobbying power of the pharmaceutical and agriculture industries in the us and across Europe.
It would also help place democratic values and constants, rather than personalities, back at the heart of geopolitics after four years of strongman worship by Trump. That too, is Boris Johnson’s best chance of building ties with a president with whom he seems unlikely to form a real personal bond.
What a Biden victory means for America.
Coronavirus
The priority will be ending the climbing rate of infected from covid by expanding testing and tracing methods inline with fellow western countries, where they have lacked under Trump. He has also suggested the passing of more support packages for families and businesses that have been hit worst of the pandemic. Biden has also stated that he will mandate mask-wearing in ALL government buildings and on public transport.
Economy
Biden’s domestic plans are underpinned by a $2 trillion escape from the carbon economy and a “build back better” programme of public works to renew infrastructure and housing. In his home state of Pennsylvania, where oil energy and fracking is such a large employer, he has been known to oppose it. The vice president-elect has at times said that he will “eliminate” fracking but has now gone back on that by saying he will prohibit the practice on federal land.
Mr Biden has also promised to kickstart the covid economy and reverse the bulk of president trumps tax cuts. Still, he insists that no household earning less than $400,000 a year will see any rises. He is supporting doubling the minimum wage and an end to low wages for tipped workers and those with disabilities, which has been praised both sides of the aisle.
Environment
He wants the government to spend billions over four years on materials and services made in the US and research and development involving electric cars and artificial intelligence but convincing the senate to spend all this money on environmental proofing is going to be tricky.
Healthcare
In the presidential debates, he described his healthcare policy as “Bidencare”. He was signalling that it would build on his democratic predecessor’s Affordable Care Act, making his take on Obamacare. Older Americans will be offered a decrease in tax on healthcare, and young people would have the option to take out life insurance earlier with medical reasons.
Criminal justice
Biden’s criminal justice policy has a lot of liberal supporters obviously, with the legalisation of recreational marijuana and expunging prior unjust convictions of possessions of class A drugs. He intends to end bail and the federal use of private prisons, which is hard to regulate and is seen as recriminatory to minorities and disadvantaged people in the US. Another key policy that Biden emphasis from his years of cross-party experience, is that he will set up a bipartisan commission for Supreme Court system.
Immigration
Back in august referring to Mr Trump’s 400 miles off wall, Mr Biden said: “There will not be another foot off wall constructed in my administration. Biden has said that the US will admit 130,000 refugees next year compared to trumps 150,000 over four years.
What a Biden victory means for the world.
It is widely accepted and sought after that International treaties and leadership on climate change will all be back on the agenda under a Biden administration. America will return to the Paris climate agreement “on day one” and the same in regards to the Iran nuclear deal, which has caused much civil unrest in the region. Mr Biden’s priority will be to rebuild relations with Germany and France as the leading powers of the EU. The EU is a significant piece of the puzzle when it comes to pressing issues, like managing China’s risers; this will be crucial to foreign collaborative success.
America will restore the much-needed funding to the WHO(World Health Organisation) after President Trump pulled the plug on because of a tantrum about the handling of covid rules. Advancing human rights and restoring relationships with other countries will be a big priority for the Biden/Harris administration with countries like Russia, Israel and a stop to the forever wars. Advisers say that the main strategy for combating the growth of China will be building alliances with nations like India and Brazil to counter Beijing’s rapid increasing influence.
final thoughts
Joseph.R.Biden JR may be moderate but with the republicans in control of the senate, getting the radical reform he wanted maybe be more challenging than he initially thought. President-elect Biden believes that he can make the most radical reforms since FDR, This 32nd president brought America out of the great depression, those are hard shoes to fill. From foreign policy to the media and china looming, all these factors are against him and only time will show how successful will the 46th president be.
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