Joe Biden and Powdered Creamer
On a recent episode of HBO’s “Real Time,” host Bill Maher famously compared Joe Biden to powdered coffee creamer. “Nobody loves it,” Maher explained, “but in a jam, it gets the job done.” I understand what Maher means here, but I also think it’s a little unfair. Biden is more than just an upgrade from Donald Trump. His presidency will almost certainly bring with it greater access to healthcare, more progressive tax policies, and a serious plan to fight climate change. These are three serious issues, and even if Biden makes progress in these areas, he’s much more than just “okay in a jam.”
On healthcare, Biden plans to strengthen the Affordable Care Act, which a majority of Americans claim to support (Hamel, et al.). He hopes to add a public option to ACA, which was originally part of the 2010 proposal before Sen. Joe Lieberman (D-CT) had it removed (Norman and Reichard). This would allow people to buy their health insurance from the federal government at a reduced rate. Biden also wants to expand ACA’s tax credits to poor people so that their premiums will be even lower. So far, he hasn’t expressed support for Medicare for All, but that is certainly the direction things are heading.
In terms of tax policy, Biden plans to increase taxes on the wealthy while decreasing the tax burden of low-income earners. This is a progressive tax plan, meaning that the wealthy pay more (as a share of income) than the poor. Biden plans to “raise taxes on individuals with income above $400,000” (Watson, Lee, and LaJoie), and this includes raising individual income tax, capital gains tax, and payroll taxes. He would also raise the corporate income tax rate to 28%. This will generate income for the US Treasury and ease the tax burden of most Americans. This is sorely needed after all the money the federal government spent trying to prevent a Coronavirus depression and the desperate shape many American families are in as a result of the pandemic. Biden has also said that he wishes to forgive all student-loan debt, which would allow lower-income and middle-class Americans to write off over $1.6 trillion in debt, a move that will likely stimulate spending.
Biden’s climate plan would push the US economy to 100% clean energy and net-zero emissions by 2050. Much of this goal depends on the passage of some version of the Green New Deal, and Biden seems to be supportive of that. He also favors investment in clean-energy infrastructure designed to meet climate goals and create new jobs. As a president with enormous foreign-policy experience, he also plans to use the office of the president to encourage other nations to get on board with clean-energy investment. As a longtime train commuter, it’s also reasonable to assume that Biden will invest fully in public transportation.
In the end, Joe Biden has many ambitious policies that he will integrate into his presidency. Some of these promise to make significant changes to health care, federal tax policy, and our national response to climate change. Biden isn’t just an “okay-in-a-jam” president; he promises to be a pretty good president. He has experience in the Senate and the White House, and he’ll know how to achieve an abundance of things.
Works Cited
Hamel, Liz. “5 Charts About Public Opinion on the Affordable Care Act and the Supreme Court.” Kaiser Family Foundation, 16 Oct. 2020, www.kff.org/health-reform/poll- finding/5-charts-about-public-opinion-on-the-affordable-care-act-and-the-supreme-court/.
Norman, Jane, and John Reichard. “Senate Democrats Drop the Public Option to Woo Lieberman, and Liberals Howl.” The Commonwealth Fund, 15 Dec. 2009, www.commonwealthfund.org/publications/newsletter-article/senate-democrats-drop-public-option-woo-lieberman-and-liberals-howl.
Watson, Garrett, Huaqun Li, and Taylor LaJoie. “Details and Analysis of President-elect Joe Biden’s Tax Plan.” Tax Foundation, 22 Oct. 2020, taxfoundation.org/joe-biden-tax- plan-2020.
