What Did Joe Biden Do Today?
April 12, 2024 Recap
Editor’s note: I’m traveling for the next few weeks and won’t be near a microphone. Daily recaps will still go out, but I’ll be in Europe with a 9-hour time difference, so they may be posted at different times. Podcasts will return on Thursday, April 25.
Cheers!
George
President Biden announced the cancellation of $7.4 billion in student debt for an additional 277,000 borrowers, increasing the total to 4.3 million individuals who have received debt relief during his administration. These beneficiaries are either part of the SAVE Plan or have been helped by corrections to Income-Driven Repayment Plans and Public Service Loan Forgiveness. This move builds on previous efforts such as substantial increases to Pell Grants, the overhaul of Public Service Loan Forgiveness to aid public servants, and measures to hold colleges accountable.
The President highlighted new initiatives to cancel student debt for over 30 million Americans. He reaffirmed his commitment to making higher education a pathway to the middle class and emphasized his determination to continue efforts against opposition from Republican officials.
The White House released a fact sheet detailing President Biden's efforts to address racial wealth disparities. Notable achievements include a significant reduction in the home appraisal gap, indicating decreased racial bias in property valuations, which has fallen by over 40%. President Biden is also increasing federal contracting with small disadvantaged businesses (SDBs), surpassing his own goals with a record-breaking $76.2 billion awarded in Fiscal Year 2023, aiming for 15% by 2025.
In contrast, 80% of Congressional Republicans support measures that would reverse these advancements by defunding the President’s executive orders on racial equity and making cuts to Medicare, Social Security, and the Affordable Care Act. These Republican plans also propose increasing costs for prescription drugs, energy, and housing while advocating for tax benefits for the wealthy and large corporations.
Additionally, the Biden-Harris Administration announced the cancellation of $7.4 billion in student loan debt, benefiting 277,000 borrowers. This adds to a total of $153 billion of debt relief for 4.3 million Americans. The aim is to ease the disproportionate debt burden on communities of color, thereby advancing racial equity.
The fact sheet underscores that these measures are part of a broader economic agenda focused on reducing racial disparities and promoting equal opportunities. It highlights historically low unemployment rates and a significant increase in Black wealth and business ownership under the current administration.
President Biden issued an executive order to enhance the United States' preparedness and response to pandemics and other biological threats, specifically focusing on COVID-19. This order highlights the establishment of the Office of Pandemic Preparedness and Response Policy (OPPR), which Congress created in December 2022. The OPPR advises the President within the Executive Office and is crucial in coordinating efforts across federal departments and agencies to address such threats effectively. Additionally, the order revokes several previous executive orders related to COVID-19 that are no longer deemed necessary, including those concerning hoarding medical resources, mask-wearing in federal workplaces, and safety measures in domestic and international travel.
Responsibilities previously held by the COVID-19 Response Coordinator are now transferred to the Director of the OPPR, and the positions of the COVID-19 Response Coordinator and Deputy Coordinator are terminated. The order also specifies that it should not interfere with the legal authorities of other executive departments or agencies and does not create any new enforceable legal rights against the U.S. government. This restructuring is part of the administration's ongoing efforts to streamline and strengthen the federal response to public health emergencies.
At the inaugural U.S.-Philippines 3+3 meeting in Washington, D.C., U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, and National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan, along with their Philippine counterparts, reaffirmed a commitment to a free Indo-Pacific and discussed enhancing coordination on South China Sea issues. They emphasized the U.S.'s firm commitment to the U.S.-Philippine Alliance, recalling the 1951 Mutual Defense Treaty’s applicability to any attacks on Philippine forces in the South China Sea. The meeting also focused on increasing U.S. support for modernizing the Philippine Armed Forces and enhancing global support for maritime law.
President Biden issued a memorandum authorizing the Secretary of State to use delegated powers under Section 506(a)(2) of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961. Specifically, the Secretary of State is granted authority to direct the drawdown of up to $60 million in resources from U.S. government inventories and the Department of Defense. These resources will be used for anti-crime and counternarcotics assistance, benefiting countries that contribute personnel to the Multinational Security Support Mission for Haiti and the Haitian National Police. Additionally, the Secretary of State is authorized to make necessary determinations to direct such a drawdown. The memorandum also instructs that this directive be published in the Federal Register.
President Biden addressed the National Action Network Convention, highlighting his administration's achievements in advancing civil rights and supporting the Black community. He emphasized significant investments in Black communities, healthcare, education, and justice reform, including placing the first Black woman on the Supreme Court and enacting police reform. The President noted historic reductions in Black unemployment and increases in Black wealth, attributing these to policies aimed at closing the racial wealth gap and promoting small disadvantaged businesses.
He stressed the challenges posed by extremists aiming to roll back progress on voting rights, reproductive rights, and diversity, positioning his administration as a defender of democracy and equality. President Biden's speech also included commitments to environmental justice, gun control, and voting rights legislation.
In a brief Q&A session afterward, he refrained from detailed comments on the security situation involving Iran. Still, he affirmed a strong defense commitment to Israel, signaling potential tensions and the urgency of the threat.
President Biden gives remarks at the National Action Network Convention at the Eisenhower Executive Office Building in Washington, D.C.
