Pamela Cruz. Peninsula 360 Press [P360].
It has been 100 days since Joseph Biden was sworn in as President of the United States, all in the midst of a pandemic that plunged the country into a seemingly endless series of problems, from unemployment to famine, from insurrection to thousands of deaths from COVID-19, a tunnel that seems to have no end in sight.
Of that gray figure during a campaign that many labeled as parsimonious, there is nothing left. As if it were a train, the administration headed by Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris has taken a firm course of action; however, with the speed it is moving, it is hoped that it will not derail.
On Wednesday night, Joe Biden gave a speech to Congress, one with few guests, as the pandemic is not over yet. He gave a concise report on the actions that have been taken during his first 100 days at the helm of one of the world's most important economies.
COVID-19
During his speech, the U.S. President said that 220 million COVID-19 vaccines have been administered in the country, and affirmed that vaccination centers and units are being established to accelerate vaccination.
In this regard, he called on all residents in the country, over 16 years of age, to be vaccinated against the SARS-CoV-2 virus.
"When I was sworn in, less than one percent of seniors were vaccinated against COVID-19, 100 days later, 70 percent of U.S. seniors over 75 are fully protected, senior deaths are down 80 percent since January, a drop thanks to all of you," he said.
He added that, so far, more than half of all adults in the U.S. have received at least one dose of the vaccine that protects them from severe COVID-19 symptoms.
On the other hand, Biden pointed out that 160 million pandemic relief checks have been sent out, and stated that, thanks to those checks, with the help of Democrats and Republicans, millions of families were protected from falling into famine because they were left without jobs.
"We have fulfilled our Democratic and Republican commitments to send $1,400 checks to 85 percent of U.S. households, we have already sent more than 160 million checks, that is making a difference, for many people it is a fundamental difference," he said.
Employment
In his speech, he explained that the U.S. must create jobs, so he will seek to invest in a plan to improve infrastructure in order to compete with China, as he said, "these are different times".
"We have the capacity and the trained people to drive employment," he said.
The President also called on all Americans to buy domestic products in order to strengthen and favor the economy, which will generate jobs.
In this regard, he pledged to the population that his program will generate millions of dollars and jobs in a period of 8 years, jobs that will be essentially for workers and to rebuild the country.
"While everything is happening, the economy has created more than 1.3 million new jobs in 100 days, more jobs in the first 100 days than any other president in history," he said.
Before Democratic and Republican congressmen, he made it clear that the middle class built the U.S., and called for a minimum wage increase to $15 per hour for all workers, as well as allowing unionization rights and equal pay for men and women.
"The International Monetary Fund estimates that our economy will have a growth of more than 7.0 percent this year, it is the highest economic recovery rate this nation has had in almost four decades, the country is moving forward, moving forward, but we cannot stop now," he abounded.
Gender violence
Joe Biden assured that his administration will seek to resume from Congress legislation to combat the levels of gender violence against women, which, among other measures, will include a ban on the use of weapons for those men who have a record of abuse.
In the presence of Vice President Kamala Harris and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Biden said his administration will deepen its work on violence against women.
"We are going to resume the legislation to combat violence against women that has prevailed in this country for 27 years since I wrote it. This is going to close that gap, so that there are no weapons in the hands of abusers. If someone abuses, they cannot have a weapon, we have to close that gap that exists", she stressed.
She explained that about fifty women are shot or killed by an intimate partner every month in the United States. "Fifty! Let's pass this and save lives."
To this, he added the importance of human rights.
"No American president can stand aside when human rights are being violated. The president of the United States must represent the essence of our country. America is an idea, and the most important ideal in our history is that we are all created equal. We cannot depart from that principle," he said.
Health
In addition to the achievements noted in the fight against the pandemic by COVID-19, Biden promised to promote medical research to combat diseases such as Alzheimer's and cancer, the latter of which would irreparably affect his family by taking the life of his son, Beau Biden.
"We must do research to stop cancer from advancing, I can't think of a more worthy investment, we can work together to defeat these diseases," Biden said. "I can't think of a more worthy investment. And I don't know of anything more bipartisan."
"I want you to know that once we defeat COVID-19, we are going to do everything we can to end cancer as we know it," the president said, a statement that was applauded and standing ovations from those present.
He also informed that he asked Dr. Eric Landes, a renowned scientist from Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), to co-direct the President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology and the Office of Science and Technology Policy.
While he called on the National Institutes of Health to create an Advanced Research Projects Agency for health, which will be focused on finding cures and more effective treatments against different types of cancer, he also called on the National Institutes of Health to create an Advanced Research Projects Agency for health, which will be focused on finding cures and more effective treatments against different types of cancer.
To this, he added that he will seek to lower the price of medicines for all Americans, as he argued that, for the same treatment, citizens pay up to three times as much as in other countries.
A situation that must change, he said, because "medical care should be a right and not a privilege".
Education and family
Joe Biden assured that he will seek to further guarantee access to quality education for American families, especially for low-income and African-American families, in addition to providing greater support for education funding and facilitating access to child care.
In this regard, he announced the "American Families" plan, a large-scale social project for recovery after the health crisis, which includes a broad proposal for universal preschool education and help for family reconciliation.
"The American Families plan will finally provide up to 12 weeks of paid leave and family medical leave ... No one should have to choose between a job and a paycheck or caring for their loved ones, their partner or their child," he said.
To this end, an additional federal investment of $1.8 billion in education, child care and paid family leave was announced.
The President intends to finance this package by increasing taxes on the wealthiest so that they "pay what they should pay", however, he detailed that he will not increase taxes on anyone earning less than $400,000 per year.
"We are going to defend American interests across the board, the United States is going to stand up to unfair trade practices that undercut American workers and industries that subsidize businesses," he asserted.
Security
President Joseph Biden emphasized the challenges in the area of national security, where he assured that he will not turn his back on his allies, but neither will he remain silent in the face of human rights violations.
In the case of China, President Xi Jinping said in a telephone call that the US will maintain a "strong military presence" in the Indo-Pacific region "not to create a conflict, but to avoid one".
He also explained that with the Asian country they are seeking fair competition in economic matters, not an escalation of conflicts between the two countries.
He explained that terrorist threats have advanced to other nations beyond Afghanistan, so it was time I to bring the troops "home"; however, he determined that the U.S. must be vigilant and avoid future threats, which may come from other latitudes, as groups such as "Al Qaeda and ISIS are in Yemen, Syria, Somalia, other places in Africa, the Middle East and beyond."
On the other hand, the nuclear programs of Iran and North Korea "represent a serious threat to the national security of the United States and the world," which is why he stressed that he will collaborate with other countries to confront the threats posed by these nations "through diplomacy and firm deterrence."
Russia continues to be key in national security speeches, and this was no exception, as he recalled that, in his call with Russian President Vladimir Putin, it was made clear "that we are not looking for an escalation, but their actions will have consequences".
However, there are bilateral areas of cooperation, such as nuclear weapons and climate change.
Racism
But security starts from within, and to that end, he pointed out that "the worst threat facing our country is white supremacists. We are not going to ignore that. As citizens we have to come together to save the soul of our nation". Biden called for rebuilding trust between the public and the police to combat "systemic racism".
"We have an enormous opportunity to bring that arc of the moral universe into real justice, eradicating systemic racism from the justice system."
"We have all seen the knee of injustice on the necks of African-American Americans," he said.
In this regard, although he recalled that most of the men and women in the police forces "serve the country in an honorable way", it is necessary to approve a police reform, which will prevent the use of improper force that ends up taking lives.
He added that the country must offer "real opportunities for white Americans, African-Americans, Latinos, Asian-Americans, Native Americans," in addition to seeking Congress to pass legislation to ensure equality among all, including the LGBTTTIQ+ community.
Finally, the President thanked the Senate for passing the COVID-19 Asian American Hate Crimes Protection Act.
Migration
The President called on Congress to finally resolve immigration reforms and grant 11 million undocumented people legal residency, as many of these workers put food on tables across the country during this HIV/AIDS pandemic, often risking their lives and the lives of their families.
However, he said that while they may not agree with his proposal, or while it is being discussed, it is important to move forward on what both parties do agree on: protecting dreamers.
"Migrants have done so much for America during the pandemic and all of history? Let's help these young people who were brought here when they were just children and who know America as their home."
Climate change
The fight against climate change has been an issue that Joe Biden has touched on since his campaign, and after fulfilling his commitment to rejoin the U.S. to the Paris agreement, he reminded that the issue cannot be fought alone.
"The climate crisis is not our fight alone, it's a global fight. The United States generates less than 15 percent of carbon emissions, the rest, 85 percent, comes from the rest of the world; that's why I fulfilled my commitment to rejoin the Paris agreement because even if we do everything perfectly, that won't be enough."
He pointed out that acting in favor of the planet will not only help health and the environment, but will also create millions of new jobs by investing in renewable energies.
If we "save the planet, we will create millions of jobs, economic growth, opportunity and raise living standards around the world."
Finally, Joe Biden called to defend the country's democracy.
