What to Expect from Joe Biden’s Presidency – Foreign Policy Youth Collaborative

At least, election season is over. For days, the nation sat at the edge of their seats, watching as states swing from red to blue until the election was called Nov. 7. This election was historic for several reasons; not only the highest voter turnout in history but president-elect Joe Biden received the most votes in a presidential election in US history. With the inauguration approaching, let’s take a place at what the next 4 years will look like under the Biden-Harris administration.

Biden has been very open about his support for immigration and will likely take action to undo many of the policies that the Trump Administration enacted regarding immigration restrictions. While vice president to the Obama administration, DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals) was created, which Trump attempted to terminate in 2017. Representatives from the administration have stated that he plans to send a bill to Congress on the first day of his presidency that will aid in creating legal pathways to citizenship for undocumented immigrants in the United States. This is easier said than done, for our current immigration system is broken to the point that complete restructuring is required. The Biden administration stated they plan to instill a 100-day block on deportation while more solid guidelines are created. However, I am doubtful that it will be written, implemented, and enforced in a mere 100 days, and it is more likely these policies will be put into place throughout his years in office.

The president-elect also plans to undo many of the domestic policies created by the Trump administration, and will likely re-enter the Paris Climate Agreement to affirm the United States’ emphasis on climate-related issues. Biden has spoken out in support of abortion and LGBTQ+ rights as well, possibly shifting to a more progressive approach on many current hot-button issues. His decisions on these issues will vary vastly from Trump, for not only is he a traditional democrat, but also has decades of experience in politics which will hopefully lead to a more calm approach. Rather than taking an extremely one-sided stance or halting negotiations, Biden will continue the attitude that was used under Obama to discuss domestic policies with the opposite party.

In his 8 years as vice president, Joe Biden was not very involved with foreign policy, as that job is mostly left to the commander in chief and the secretary of state. Now that he has this responsibility, we can be sure that he will take a strong stance on world affairs from the very start. One of the main areas of foreign policy that he did participate in as a senator and as VP is the Middle East, going forward he will be able to build off what Trump has done in the area. Biden has expressed support for Israel and considers himself a Zionist, as well as supports the embassy in Jerusalem that Trump moved in 2018. This administration will work to create a more established and strong tie with Israel, as well as continue to promote peace between Israel and Saudi Arabia that was brokered in October.

Biden will be able to build off the fundamentals of Trump’s foreign policy in many areas from the past 4 years with only slight modifications. He agrees that China is breaking numerous international trade laws and that corruption is widespread; Biden stresses he wishes to keep America ahead in technological advancements. However, Trump’s tariffs and his January “phase-one deal” did not accomplish this, and moving forward Biden will keep the base idea of keeping the US economically and technologically ahead of China by strengthening ties with surrounding countries in the East and increasing naval presence.

The most striking differences from the transfer of administrations pertain to North Korean diplomatic ties. Biden has stated that he will not continue a personal relationship with Kim Jong Un because he views this as empowering a dictator; rather, he is willing to have negotiations if the country is making definitive steps forward. At heart, Biden believes that the best way to solve issues is to have close relationships with other countries and thinks that Trump’s past handling of global affairs and leaving international deals has left the US in a bad spot. He will seek to repair ties with counties and get America back into deals.

Over half of Americans don’t think that Biden will not finish his presidency in office, and I agree. Biden has already stated that he views himself as a sort of “transition candidate” to the younger generation and would not seek reelection if his physical or mental health deteriorated. Kamala Harris is 56 years old, which for politics currently is as young as it gets, with the average ages of House Representatives and Senators being 57 years and 61 years old respectively. I believe Biden is setting up Harris to be the 47th president, and she will likely choose an equally or even younger running mate.

In October of this year, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi and Rep. Jamie Raskin introduced a bill to the House that will create guidelines for determining if the president is unable to serve for health reasons, allowing them to remove a president for such reasons under the 25th Amendment of the Constitution. If it were to pass, the bill could be used to remove Biden from the White House, as he is clearly already congenitally deteriorating and has said he will not seek reelection for health reasons. The removal would also require consent from the vice president, and Harris has had her eye on the presidency for her whole political career. However, if this bill is not passed in Congress, it will simply be used to set the precedent that the president should step down if experiencing extreme health issues, as Biden has stated he would do.

If Biden finishes his term in office, we will see him quickly undo many of Trump’s domestic policies, including large changes to our immigration system. He will be able to keep the foundation of Trump’s foreign affairs while continuing forward with a more diplomatic approach across the globe.

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Written by Hannah Winnick.