U.S. President-elect Joe Biden has announced his plans for his first days in office. According to reports, his presidential executive order will reverse some of his predecessor’s most controversial decisions and address the country’s ongoing crises.
One of Biden’s top advisers announced Saturday that the new U.S. president would sign “about a dozen” executive orders within hours of being sworn in, addressing critical issues such as the pandemic, the economy, climate change and racial injustice in America.
“In his first 10 days in office, President-elect Biden will act decisively to address these four crises, prevent other urgent and irreversible harms, and restore America’s place in the world,” new Chief of Staff Ron Klain said in a note to senior staff.
“President-elect Biden will take action – not only to undo the Trump administration’s most serious damage, but also to move our country forward,” he added.
Outlining the plan, Klain said the Democratic president will lift the travel ban on several Muslim-majority countries, rejoin the Paris climate agreement, extend the limit on student loan and foreclosure payments initiated during the pandemic, and issue a mask mandate on international travel.
“These actions will change the course of COVID-19, address climate change, promote racial justice and support other underserved communities, and rebuild our economy in a way that strengthens the backbone of this country: namely, the working men and women who built our nation,” he further wrote.
In the remarks, Klain also made clear that Biden’s agenda would require “robust congressional action,” a prospect that improved after Democrats took control of the Senate earlier this month.
There was no mention, however, of whether he would rejoin the World Health Organization – something Biden had previously promised to do on his first day in office to re-engage with the global community on COVID-19 and other health threats.
Biden’s presidency begins Wednesday, Inauguration Day.
The U.S. faces numerous challenges as Biden takes over a country where COVID-19 deaths will soon reach 400,000 and the economy faces a downturn.
In addition, U.S. cities are preparing for a possible new wave of violent demonstrations and tightening security to avoid further chaos in the days leading up to Biden’s inauguration.
Several states have deployed nearly 1,000 National Guard members to the nation’s capital in DC to defend it.
While some have deployed local and state law enforcement or declared states of emergency, others have taken further action to secure the Capitol building. Michigan, Virginia, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, and Washington, among others, activated their National Guards to tighten security.
In Washington, DC, streets near the Capitol were closed and battalions of camouflaged National Guard soldiers were stationed throughout the downtown area.
by Jeremy Abbott – American Correspondent – WPN