His ‘Build Back Better’ plan aims to do just this, with a notable emphasis on a transition to green energy, a refreshing prospect for a nation that has been held back by fossil fuel lobbying for far too long. But as the Midterm Elections approach the Democrats’ control of the House and Senate looks particularly precarious, and it is unclear whether Biden’s plan has done enough to gain him the popularity he was hoping for.
In many ways, Biden has had success over the last 2 years. He has surpassed the expectations of those on the left of US politics who had thought of him as merely a typical ‘do nothing democrat’, unprepared to commit to big spending plans that would rock the boat of the Washington establishment. His $1.2 trillion infrastructure bill indicates a notable shift towards the party’s left wing base - turning away from at least some of the corporate interests that Democrats often prioritise. Not only this, Biden has proposed to strengthen unions, voiced his opposition to trickle down economics, and announced a federal pardon for all convictions of past cannabis possession.
Although this is mostly rhetoric (and certainly nothing revolutionary), it is clear that Biden is a tactful politician who is aware of the growing demand for socialist politics in the US, ideas which have been brought into political relevance by politicians such as Bernie Sanders. Sanders was the runner-up for the Democratic nomination twice in a row and is now the nation’s most popular politician, evidently Biden has good reasons for taking inspiration from his agenda.
Despite being more productive than expected Biden’s efforts to ‘Build Back Better’ still leave a long way to go for American recovery from the Pandemic. One of Biden's major problems is his paper-thin majority in the Senate, with the conservatively minded Democratic senators Joe Manchin and Kyrsten Sinema proving to be a thorn in the Presidency’s side when attempting to deliver on his promises. The original $3.5 trillion Build Back Better Act that Biden had hoped to pass failed to gain the approval of Manchin in committee hearings, forcing a compromise with the $2.2 trillion Inflation Reduction Act being passed instead. This bill was much reduced in size and scope from its predecessor, failing to compare to historic landmark economic legislation like Franklin Roosevelt’s New Deal, to the disappointment of many who believe that Biden has not delivered on what he had promised.
In addition to problems outside of his control, Biden’s presidency has been tainted by faults of his own. Although he has postured himself to the left, he is fundamentally still bound to the corporate money that got him elected. This was on full display in June, when the presidency enacted the highest Medicare premium hikes in history, with the profits made from this decision going right to the private insurance companies which funded Biden’s campaign, whilst working class Americans in need of medical support must suffer the consequences.
It is for this reason that Biden’s spending increases can only go so far in aiding America’s recovery from the pandemic. If the cost of living continues to rise while the gap between the richest and the poorest in America continues to grow in an absence of progressive taxation, the prospects for an economic recovery that will meaningfully benefit the lives of ordinary Americans remains slim.
