A Leftist Critique of Biden’s First Address to Congress
As most have probably heard by now, President Joe Biden made his first address to the US Congress last night. And as of right now, he has officially been in office for 100 days.
I had a lot of mixed emotions as I watched the address last night with my family. On one hand, I was excited (and nervous) to see a Democratic president addressing an evenly divided Senate and an almost evenly divided House. But on the other, I was apprehensive, because I knew that he would stick to the same script as most centrist politicians do when trying to get their point across in bipartisan spaces.
In fact, I was pleasantly surprised. Unexpectedly, Biden had mentioned many specific policies and policy proposals. He had spoken of championing things like vaccine distribution and the creation of jobs for many struggling Americans. He explained his plans for the future and did so in a more bold manner than I would have expected, especially when addressing a body that’s made up of a large portion of conservative politicians.
Obviously, he’s far from perfect, but he’s off to a bit of a good start. This article is going to be an honest critique, from a leftist perspective, of what Biden did well and what he can do better. So let’s start with what he did well.
What was good?
Well, as I mentioned before, he talked about a lot of specific policy proposals that he was going to fight to get passed. He seemed very confident in his address, even to the many conservative politicians in the room. It seemed to me like he was committed to advancing legislation that would benefit Americans.
One specific policy was the $15 minimum wage, which he wholeheartedly supported and promised to fight for. Although it’s far from being enough to fix the huge divide between the working class/poor and the wealthy few, it’s a step in the right direction, one that we need right now in order to support families who have been struggling the most.
Biden also expressed support for the Paycheck Fairness Act, which would help to close the pay gap between men and women in the workforce. For so long, women and other marginalized genders have been underpaid and undervalued by employers, and it’s good to see the president including this in a major address.
The biggest policy that Biden talked about during his address was the American Jobs Plan, which would invest $2 trillion to create 1.5 million good jobs for Americans. This is by far the most ambitious legislation introduced by a president in a very long time, and although I tend to see Biden’s stances as more conservative and centrist, I mostly support him in his fight to pass this plan.
The United States is in the middle of an economic crisis, a health crisis, a racial justice crisis, and a climate crisis. We need bold change in order to transform our economy into one that works for all of us. And while the American Jobs Plan isn’t nearly enough to get us there, it’s a huge step in the right direction.
We can transition our society to 100% clean and renewable energy by putting people to work transforming our energy grid and building sustainable infrastructure. We can upgrade our public transportation systems, education, healthcare options, and more. And that all starts with this plan, which is one of the best things that Biden has done since he’s been in office.
There were some other good things in the address as well, such as Biden declaring his support of the PRO (Protect the Right to Organize) Act, which would give protections to union workers and help those looking to unionize.
But there were also some things in his address that I shook my head at.
What was bad?
There are a lot of things that Biden talked about that were a bit iffy, and it’s mostly because he isn’t actionable about the things that he promises. He talks about transforming our nation and protecting people, but in reality, he tends to not focus on a lot of the things he says. He also hides things from the public eye and ignores aspects of issues that he is against.
One good example of this comes during his talk about the American Jobs Plan. Right after introducing it, he mentions how the plan will put people to work replacing 100% of the lead pipes in our nation. That in itself is a good goal, and I hope he will take action on it immediately.
However, in that same sentence, he implied that replacing all of the lead pipes in our nation would make sure “every American can drink clean water”.
Lead pipes are not the cause of all water pollution in this country. Sure, they have definitely caused issues, such as in the lead water crisis in Newark, NJ. But other things contribute to pollution too — the main one being big corporations who create industrial sites and then use bodies of water as their dumping grounds for chemicals, toxins, garbage, and other nasty things. In Flint, Michigan, the water system was diverted to a lake that had been polluted by toxic chemicals, and as a result, many of them are still deprived of clean drinking water.
Biden cannot guarantee that every American will have clean water if he doesn’t even address the sources of pollution other than lead pipes. Like most politicians, he is bound to the interests of corporate executives, which is likely why he is hesitant to speak about this issue — because a lot of his money comes from the same people who polluted the water in Flint, Michigan.
In addition, Biden also spoke out about LGBTQIA+ rights. I was hopeful that he would mention this, as a queer trans person myself.
He said, “All transgender Americans watching at home, especially young people, who are so brave, I want you to know your president has your back.” This came after the mention of his support of the Equality Act, which would guarantee protections to LGBTQIA+ individuals in the areas of healthcare, public access, and more.
I’m a huge supporter of the Equality Act, and I know that if it’s passed, it will make sure that I and others like me are able to have access to the same things as other people do.
But it’s not enough. Biden said that he wanted to protect transgender people, but he has yet to do anything to combat over 100 anti-trans bills that are currently in state legislatures around the country. These bills seek to deprive us of our healthcare, exclude us from sports teams, and even criminalize parents and medical professionals that try to give us necessary care and support.
If Biden really wanted to protect trans Americans, he would do everything in his power to fight this anti-trans legislation and protect the rights of all citizens.
Conclusion
Overall, I remain hesitant as to whether Biden will actually make the changes that our country so desperately needs. While he has introduced countless pieces of legislation that do seek to change things, it isn’t enough. With our country on the brink of economic and climate disaster, we need a president that truly stands up to conservative leaders and corporate executives, and who fights for the people, not the wealthy few.
Biden has only been in office for 100 days, so we’ve got a long way to go. I’m confident that we can make real change happen, but only if we keep the pressure on our politicians.
Never stay silent. Our politicians are here to serve us, their constituents, and Biden should be listening to the American people. We must continue to pressure him into taking the actions that actually protect us, and speak up if he doesn’t.
