Even after his presidency came to an end, former president Donald J. Trump made history becoming the only president to be impeached twice. To the dismay of some and the great satisfaction of others, the powerful position has been transitioned, if not quite so peacefully, to Joseph R. Biden, the 46th president of the United States. 

With over 40 years of political experience, the Democratic former senator and vice-president was inaugurated on January 20, 2021. Due to the global pandemic, Biden’s was the first inaugural ceremony in which the traditional D.C. parade and various inaugural balls and parties were not held. 

In his inaugural speech, Biden made a plea for national unity, his words coming just two weeks after an insurrection by Trump supporters at the United States Capitol when the Electoral College vote was being ratified. In a time of such tension, Biden still believes that the country can “..come together as one nation, under God, indivisible, to carry out the peaceful transfer of power, as we have for more than two centuries.”

Kamala Harris, Biden’s vice-president, has broken quite a few barriers. She is the first female, first black, and first South Asian vice-president. This has been inspiring for many communities. Valentino Mancenelli, a freshman at Olympic Heights, stated, “I wouldn’t consider myself a Biden suporter; I just don’t agree with everything he stands for. However, I hope the best for his presidential run. I respect the much needed diversity that he is bringing to a position of power.”

In his time in office so far, Biden has signed over 50 executive orders, many of them undoing Trump’s policies. Specifically, he has signed an order to stop the separation of families at the U.S./ Mexico border. He also has taken steps to end any travel bans previously placed on largely Muslim populated countries. Those two issues are ones that the Democrats took great exception to. Biden delivered on his promise to get the aforementioned accomplished within his first 100 days in office. 

On the campaign trail, Harris continually stated, “Each and every vote for Joe Biden is a vote to protect and expand the Affordable Care Act.” Biden intends to expand programs such as the Affordable Care Act (commonly known as Obamacare), which Trump tried unsuccessfully to dismantle. 

Biden firmly believes in providing financial aid for those in need. Gemma Rose, a local teenage member of Biden’s extended family, told The Torch that “Joe has always put a high interest in helping others, especially those who can’t help themselves.” 

Additionally, being inaugurated in one of the most racially tense years in recent history, Biden has proposed certain policies which address disproportionalities in regards to race in the U.S. judicial system. He intends to create a program which will lead to reduced incarcerations. This plan includes ending the death penalty and ridding the court systems of minimum prison sentences. This is a 20 billion dollar project.

Deviating from legal and social issues, Biden is also keen on the environment. According to BBC News, Biden has committed to “…cutting greenhouse gases up to 28 percent by 2025, based on 2005 levels.” Biden has also stated that he wants to invest two trillion dollars into the usage of green energy. This is energy that can be renewed, such as rain, wind, and sunlight.

In his short five weeks in office, Biden has already followed through with some of his many campaign promises and seems intent on honoring all of them. For some, he will need the help of Congress, which could be problematic if he wants to take a bipartisan approach as he has stated since many Congressional Republicans are still bitter over Trump’s loss to Biden.