Inflation has come to dominate many voters’ attention in the days before the midterm elections but the Biden administration has had major pieces of legislation to its credit. Its accomplishments have come despite the smallest of majorities in Congress.
Here is a look at the legislative successes and failures of Biden’s first two years in office.
Coronavirus Relief
Signed: March 11, 2021
Get San Diego local news, weather forecasts, sports and lifestyle stories to your inbox. Sign up for NBC San Diego newsletters.
Biden signed a coronavirus spending bill, the American Rescue Plan, only a few months after taking office. The $1.9 trillion went to states, schools, federal agencies and others, an effort to focus on health care and other aspects of the pandemic response, education and direct payments to families. Biden and other Democrats say the infusion of funds was necessary to get the economy back on track. Republicans blame it for helping to spur inflation, which stood at 8.2% in September.
Infrastructure
Signed Nov. 15, 2021
U.S. & World
The $1 trillion bipartisan infrastructure act is sending billions to states to improve roads, bridges, airports and mass transit systems. It is meant too to reduce emissions and includes money for clean water, electric grid projects and electric vehicle charging stations.
First Black Woman on Supreme Court
Confirmed April 7, 2022
Ketanji Brown Jackson, 51, is the first Black woman to serve on the U.S. Supreme Court. Biden fulfilled a campaign promise when he nominated her to replace Stephen Breyer. The federal appellate judge won approval in the Senate with the support of Democrats and three Republicans, Susan Collins of Maine, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Mitt Romney of Utah.
Gun Regulation
Signed June 25, 2022
Biden signed the first major gun control legislation passed by Congress in almost 30 years. It came about a month after a mass shooting killed 19 children and two adults at an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas. It has incentives for states to pass red flaw laws, a way to get guns out of the hands of someone deemed a threat, and includes dating partners in a law that prevents people convicted of domestic abuse. Previously the law covered only spouses and former spouses.
Climate Change
Signed: Aug. 16, 2022
The Inflation Reduction Act provides $369 billion to ease the effects of climate change by moving the country toward wind, solar and other renewable energy. It includes funds to cut greenhouse emissions, manufacture clean energy products and tackle environmental justice. According to the White House, it would reduce carbon emissions by 40% by 2030 and decrease the social costs of climate change by up to $1.9 trillion by 2050. The measure came about after Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia rejected climate and tax provisions in an earlier proposal, Build Back Better. It followed a U.S. Supreme Court decision in June that limits how the Environmental Protection Agency addresses climate change.
Prescription Drug Prices
The Inflation Reduction Act also promises to reduce prescription drug prices by allowing Medicare to negotiate the price. It puts a cap of $2,000 a year on how much those participating in the Medicare Part D prescription drug plan will have to pay out of pocket.
Student Loan Forgiveness
Announced Aug. 24, 2022
Biden in August announced his administration would cancel up to $10,000 in student loan debt for anyone making less than $125,000 a year or as much as $20,000 for borrowers who also received Pell Grants.
The application portal went live, but a federal appeals court has temporarily blocked the plan even as more than half the qualified borrowers had already signed up. Six states led by Republicans gave sued to stop the program, one of a number of legal challenges.
Build Back Better
The $2.2 trillion climate and social safety net bill, Build Back Better, was meant to be Biden's signature legislation. Pared back from the $3.5 trillion that Biden originally wanted, it would have provided money for renewable energy, universal prekindergarten, subsidies for child care, more financial aid for college, support for housing and for home and community care for older Americans, a Medicare hearing benefit and and price controls for prescription drugs. It passed the House narrowly but faltered in the Senate. Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia refused to support it at the end of 2021, killing its chance of passing. The much smaller Inflation Control Act included some of the spending.
