The Biden Administration’s Policy Blunders – Jose Reyna Rodriguez

The current President Biden and his administration are responsible for having passed a number of laws. Due to the approach or lack thereof that the administration has taken in addressing a number of issues, the president’s approval rating is historically low. Sitting at a 38% approval rating and a 55% disapproval rating according to five thirty eight data. Which looks at the average of polls to calculate their numbers. The question this article will attempt to provide context for is: Why is the President’s approval rating so low? By looking at some of the policies enacted by the administration.

The Pandemic

First it’s important to recognize what was arguably the biggest reason why Biden was elected, the Covid-19 pandemic and the Trump administration’s response. The public in 2020 wanted a change in the federal government’s approach to the pandemic. That is why Biden focused his campaigning on addressing the pandemic. For example he campaigned on giving $2000 checks per person to the public due to the pandemic. Using this promise to help get senators Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff elected in Georgia during their run off election. Giving the administration control of the House of Representatives and the Senate by the slimmest margins. 

With control of congress the administration could theoretically pass any policy that the democrats wanted without republican support. Which is why I want to highlight one of Biden’s first policy and political mistakes. Instead of providing $2000 like promised, the democrats gave $1400 per person in the American Rescue Plan of 2021. Immediately going back on his word and breaking one of his signature campaign promises, which would become a trend. To add insult to injury the payments were reduced for anyone who made more than $80,000. This change in policy was for no apparent reason in the eyes of the public who don’t pay attention to the differences between democrat leadership and individual lawmakers. Like senator Joe Manchin, and senator Kristen Sinema who were responsible for making many government policies worse/not as helpful as they could’ve been by refusing to vote in favor of legislation with certain provisions.

Failure in Congress-Divided Party

This is evidence of one of the failures in our current political system, as it’s something that every president, to a certain extent, deals with. That is struggling to work with congress in order to pass your policy platform. That was exemplified and put on full display with every piece of legislation the Biden administration has tried to pass since day one. As seen with the first example of $1400 checks, that every republican voted against. 

Another disappointing example was the failure to raise the minimum wage for everyone. Biden had promised to raise the minimum wage to 15$ an hour but the legislation failed in congress, with several democratic congressmen voting against one of his most popular promises. Keep in mind that the minimum wage hasn’t been raised since 2009. That being said, I want to give credit where credit is due. Biden issued an executive order raising the minimum wage to 15$ an hour to federal contractors. That was the full extent of what the president could have done with executive power alone. As a result of this policy more than 370,000 workers received a pay increase, which is why  this executive order was one of the best enacted by the President.

The Child Tax Credit

Demonstrating that some of the policies passed and enacted were great policies. For example, returning to the pandemic response the administration expanded the child tax credit, unemployment funds, healthcare assistance, housing assistance and tuition assistance which were largely very helpful, and popular policies. Especially due to the fact that these assistance lines were the only lines of support for millions of Americans during the pandemic. Which is why one of the most colossal failures by the Biden administration was not making some of these policies permanent during the 117th congress when they held both houses of congress.

 Specifically the child tax credit which under the American Rescue Plan experienced a historic expansion where every family that needed the help got it. As a result of this expansion, poverty was reduced. With a study by Columbia University stating it cut the poverty rate by more than 50%. Which is great! But then they simply let the policy expire, reversing the gains by this policy and making the lives of millions of Americans more of a struggle. That is just one example of the pandemic era policy responses that expired that led to the lives of people getting harder. 

Which is why this was one of the greatest failures by the administration as it’s the morally wrong thing to do, making people struggle to afford to eat. It’s logically the wrong thing to do because these policies reduced poverty which has cascading effects in helping to solve other societal issues like mental health struggles. And finally the most important for the President’s self interest is that it’s politically the wrong thing to do. If individuals experience a decrease in support and living standards under his government, they will blame him. Which is exactly what happened.

In conclusion, the Biden administration’s failures often go back to the inability of the president to work with congress in passing his agenda. This failure goes beyond working with the opposition, which have worked in obstructing almost everything the administration proposed. Not even being able to get his own Caucasus to pass what he wanted, many of the Presidents were broken, just like most presidents. However at this current time, life is even more difficult due to life being turned upside down since COVID and the Ukraine war.  Which is why the President’s failure to react has earned him his low approval rating. He made his bed and now he has to sleep in it, with it highly in doubt whether or not the President will be re-elected in 2024. If he loses it will be due to the responses that he’s had to these events.