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It’s easy to understand why Donald Trump is dominating political headlines this week. His ongoing criminal trial — a first for a former American president — is underway in New York City. His radical immunity claims are receiving Supreme Court scrutiny this morning. Just yesterday, the presumptive GOP nominee was identified as an unindicted co-conspirator in two separate criminal cases.
These are, of course, the kind of developments that are going to make some news. Indeed, these are stories that absolutely deserve to be seen as serious, historic and important.
But just off the front page, the incumbent administration is succeeding in methodically implementing an ambitious policy agenda, much of which is going to make a real difference in the lives of millions of Americans.
To be sure, some of President Joe Biden’s recent accomplishments have been dramatic in their own right. After all, the Democrat recently helped prevent a war between Israel and Iran, while carefully navigating the congressional process on a critically important security aid package.
But that’s not all the incumbent president and his administration have been up to. The New York Times reported this morning:
The Biden administration on Thursday placed the final cornerstone of its plan to tackle climate change: a regulation that would force the nation’s coal-fired power plants to virtually eliminate the planet-warming pollution that they release into the air or shut down. The regulation from the Environmental Protection Agency requires coal plants in the United States to reduce 90 percent of their greenhouse pollution by 2039, one year earlier than the agency had initially proposed.
This comes the day after Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg made a big announcement of his own. NBC News reported:
A federal rule announced Wednesday will require airlines to quickly give cash refunds — without lengthy arguments — to passengers whose flights have been canceled or seriously delayed, the Biden administration said. ... The rule from the Transportation Department says passengers who decline other reimbursement like travel credits are to get cash refunds.
This week, the Biden administration has also:
- announced a major breakthrough on non-compete clauses;
- made millions of American workers eligible for overtime pay;
- unveiled a new rule cracking down on the kind of investment advice that advisors, brokers, and insurance agents can give to retirement savers;
- made it easier for military spouses to work remotely;
- announced $7 billion in federal grants for residential solar projects in low- and middle-income communities.
Remember, not only are these worthwhile steps, they’re also a sampling of the kind of governing we’re seeing from the Biden administration over the last few days.
Six months ago, as members of Congress prepared to leave Capitol Hill for their Thanksgiving break, Republican Rep. Chip Roy delivered impassioned remarks on the House floor.
“One thing. I want my Republican colleagues to give me one thing — one! — that I can go campaign on and say we did,” the Texan said. “Anybody sitting in the complex, if you want to come down to the floor and come explain to me, one meaningful, significant thing the Republican majority has done.”
No one rushed to respond to his challenge.
Ever notice how no one ever makes similar criticisms of Biden and his team? Those looking for a list of meaningful and significant things the Democratic administration has done should settle in to review an exceedingly long catalog.