JOIN USWith Joe Biden taking the oath as the 46th President of the United States on Wednesday, a particularly chaotic period in US history has come to an end. The swearing-in was important not just for marking the start of a new presidency but for its symbolic value. There was little ‘normal’ about the inaugural as it was held amidst a raging pandemic. Still, the democratic institutions, procedures and traditions on display at Capitol Hill during the inaugural sent out a message that normalcy is being restored. This is important; only a fortnight ago, an insurrection driven by President Donald Trump was staged at Capitol Hill.
The inauguration signalled that the people’s mandate, democracy and institutions have prevailed. Biden’s inaugural speech was reassuring. While not diminishing the magnitude of the challenges ahead, the new President stressed the need for unity. “Without unity, there is no peace, only bitterness and fury,” he said, calling on people to listen to one another and respect each other. He will find that this is easier said than done. He will need to ensure that Democrats and Republicans listen and heed each other during debates in Congress. Deeply polarised Americans may not even be interested in uniting. Will they be able “to live in mutual tolerance,” as Biden urged them to at his inauguration?
President Biden offered hope at his swearing-in. Can he translate it into reality now? He has laid out an ambitious agenda. He will be helped in fulfilling it by a Democrat-controlled House and Senate and with the support of experienced officials. He has signed a string of executive orders for the US to re-enter the Paris Climate Accord and the World Health Organisation, to halt funding for the border wall and reverse the travel ban on predominantly Muslim countries. He has put in place a comprehensive and robust strategy to fight Covid-19. Wearing of masks has been made mandatory in federal spaces and for inter-state travel. Steps have been taken to ramp up manufacture of vaccines. Biden has taken charge of the federal response to the pandemic in a way that Trump refused to do while in office.
By signing executive orders to reverse Trump’s decisions, Biden has begun to undo some of the damages done by his predecessor. Many others – such as those relating to fuel standards for automakers, which Trump diluted, and restarting financial support to developing countries to achieve climate change goals -- will need to be undone through long legislative processes that could months, if not most of his term. He has no time to lose.