Biden Administration marks two years of accomplishments

Equality, tax fairness and rebuilding America’s roads, bridges

PART 2: FAIRNESS/GROWTH

By ED FINKELSTEIN
Publisher Emeritus

In his State of the Union speech Feb. 7, President Joe Biden offered a rousing presentation of his administration’s accomplishments over the past two years and a strong message that the future of America is strong and positive.

In last week’s Labor Tribune we outlined the strong, and substantial, economic advances that his administration has made to create new jobs, fight inflation and tackle the growing climate crisis. But that was only one part of his message.

“We are writing the next chapter in the great American story, a story of progress and resilience,” the President said, noting the following accomplishments as part of preparing for the future:

EQUALITY/FAIRNESS

• Tax Fairness. Noting that in 2020, 55 of the biggest companies in America made $40 billion in profits and paid zero in federal income taxes, President Biden made the point clearly, “That’s simply not fair.” He made the point that the wealthiest and the biggest corporations need to begin paying their fair share. “I’m a capitalist. But just pay your fair share. And I think a lot of you at home agree with me that our present tax system is simply unfair.”
• “Because of the law I signed, billion-dollar companies have to pay a minimum of 15 percent (in taxes). Just 15 percent. That’s less than a nurse pays. Let me be clear. Under my plan, nobody earning less than $400,000 a year will pay an additional penny in taxes.”
• Violence Against Women Act reauthorization, an issue he championed as a U.S. Senator which provides protections, services and access to safety and support for all survivors of gender-based violence wherever it occurs, and in all of its forms.
• Electoral Count Reform Act to clarify how Congress counts electoral votes following a presidential election. This was necessitated after the last election when the former president, having lost the election, tried to get the vice president to overturn the election’s results. Fortunately for our democracy, reason prevailed and candidate Biden’s election was confirmed.
• Respect for Marriage Act that protects the right to marry the person you love.
• One of the first efforts of the Biden Administration was to attack the serious backlog of infrastructure across America to not only fix roads and bridges, but to provide tens of thousands of new jobs for America’s construction workers with:
• The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law passage, the largest investment in infrastructure since President Eisenhower’s Interstate Highway System -once-in-a-generation infrastructure law. “We used to be #1 in the world in infrastructure, then we fell to 13th. Now we’re coming back” President Biden stressed.
• Funded over 20,000 projects that will put hundreds of thousands of people to work rebuilding our highways, bridges, railroads, tunnels, ports and airports, clean water, and high-speed internet across America. Urban. Suburban. Rural. Tribal. “And we’re just getting started,” the President said. Locally:
  – Missouri leveraged $1.2 billion in federal highway and bridge formula funds to help jumpstart 872 new improvement projects in communities across the state.
  – Illinois leveraged $2 billion in federal highway and bridge formula funds for 1,220 new improvement projects in communities across the state.
• Replacing poisonous lead pipes that go into 10 million homes and 400,000 schools and childcare centers, so every child in America can drink clean water.
• Expanding internet accessibility: ”We’re making sure that every community has access to affordable, high-speed internet. No parent should have to drive to a McDonald’s parking lot so their kid can do their homework online.”
• Made in America: “Tonight, I’m also announcing new standards to require all construction materials used in federal infrastructure projects to be made in America. American-made lumber, glass, drywall, fiber optic cables. And on my watch, American roads, American bridges, and American highways will be made with American products.”

COMING
Future issues will cover the Biden Administration’s accomplishments in health, union support, and the defense of Democracy.