Now that the electoral dust has settled and President-elect Joe Biden's inauguration Jan. 20, 2021, is set in stone, it is time to move forward, cease the extreme political rhetoric and strike a tone of respect and compromise as this great American, who has dedicated his life to public service, takes his rightful place as leader of the free world.
It is a time for healing and fence-mending, a time to isolate the radical extremes, find common ground and get behind our new president after four years of toxicity, dysfunction, darkness and embarrassing our country on the world stage.
President-elect Biden has accomplished greatness in his distinguished career, helping to bring health care to those who otherwise would not qualify for it, for example.
Here is a bullet list of what Biden already has done for this country:
Reviving Our Economy
* as Vice President, oversaw implementation of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act in 2009, then the biggest economic recovery plan in our country’s history. helped rebuild the American economy and save the American auto industry, lifting us out of the Great Recession.
* brokered Senate negotiations between Democrats and Republicans to pass the Budget Control Act of 2011 and avert a federal government shutdown.
* led a review in 2014 of federal employment and training programs that reach more than 21 million people per year, retooling $1.5 billion in grants to align with job-driven training best practices.
Expanding Access to Healthcare
* helped pass Obamacare (Affordable Care Act), guaranteeing health coverage for Americans with pre-existing conditions and 20 million who were previously uninsured.
* helped launch a “Cancer Moonshot” initiative in 2016 to accelerate efforts to prevent, diagnose and treat cancer.
Advancing Women's Rights and Gender Equity.
* sponsored the original Violence Against Women Act in 1994, leading to a major decline in intimate partner violence, from 2.1 million victims in 1994 to 907,000 in 2010.
* oversaw the confirmation of Ruth Bader Ginsburg as the second woman in the history of the Supreme Court in 1993.
* as chair of an all-male Senate Judiciary Committee, advocated the addition of Senators Dianne Feinstein and Carol Moseley Braun.
Climate Change
* cosponsored proposed legislation to curb greenhouse gas emissions in 2007.
* called for American participation in UN climate negotiations in 2005.
* introduced one of the Senate’s first climate change bills, in 1986, leading to the creation of a task force on global warming.
* utilized his experience working across the aisle to establish a pragmatic plan to cut carbon emissions and secure a sustainable future (click here to read more).
* oversaw dispersement of $90 billion for clean energy as part of the 2009 Recovery Act. solar power increased 20x between the years 2008 and 2016.
Promoting Peace and Security
* secured the passage of arms limitation agreements in 1979 between the United States and the Soviet Union, reducing the risk of global nuclear disaster.
* advocated for economic sanctions against South Africa’s apartheid government.
* pushed for U.S. intervention in the Yugoslav Wars of the 1990s, ending ethnic cleansing and bringing peace to the region.
* supported expanding NATO to include Warsaw Pact nations Poland, Hungary and the Czech Republic, advancing the cause of an undivided, democratic and peaceful Europe.
Protecting our children
* served as primary sponsor of the PROTECT Our Children Act of 2008, helping law enforcement agencies to investigate and prosecute child predators.
* sponsored and introduced the Criminal History Background Checks Pilot Extension Act of 2008, allowing volunteer organizations – such as children’s sports groups – to obtain national and state criminal history background checks on their volunteers.
Policing and criminal justice reform
* Co-authored the 1994 crime bill, which has been credited with decreasing levels of violent crime, but also increasing rates of incarceration. Biden has recognized flaws with the original bill and his proposed policies look to address many of the concerns that resulted (click here to read more).
Stopping Far-Right Judges
* as ranking member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, blocked Jeff Sessions from becoming a federal judge in 1986.
* blocked the nomination of Robert Bork, who wanted to roll back advances in civil rights, to the Supreme Court in 1987.
It is clear a brighter tomorrow is just around the corner for this country, and I look forward to all the great things this administration will accomplish in the next eight years.
