Presidency of Joe Biden facts for kids
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Quick facts for kids
Presidency of Joe Biden
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| January 20, 2021 – present | |
| President | Joe Biden |
| Cabinet | See list |
| Party | Democratic |
| Election | 2020 |
| Seat | White House |
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← Donald Trump •
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| Seal of the President | |
Joe Biden became the 46th president of the United States on January 20, 2021. He is a Democrat from Delaware. Before becoming president, he was the vice president for Barack Obama. Biden won the 2020 election against the Republican president, Donald Trump.
When he became president, Joe Biden was the oldest president in American history. He took office during the COVID-19 pandemic, a tough economic time, and when the country was very divided.
Contents
Helping Americans: The Build Back Better Plan
President Biden introduced plans to help the country "Build Back Better." These plans aimed to improve the economy and people's lives.
The American Rescue Plan Act of 2021
In January 2021, Biden announced a big plan called the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021. It was a $1.9 trillion bill designed to help the economy and people during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The plan included:
- Sending $1,400 checks directly to many Americans.
- Helping with housing and food.
- Making childcare and healthcare more affordable.
- Giving families with children and workers an emergency boost.
- Expanding who could get these checks.
The plan also set aside money for communities. This included $350 billion for first responders. It also gave grants to small businesses and public transportation. About $400 billion was for a national vaccine plan and helping schools reopen safely.
The plan also focused on making sure enough personal protective equipment (like masks) and vaccine supplies were made. It helped create vaccine centers in large places like stadiums. The government worked to make sure vaccines reached communities that needed them most. It also started a campaign to teach Americans about the vaccine and fight false information. Vaccines were made free for everyone. The plan also aimed to increase COVID-19 testing and find new treatments.
No Republican members of Congress voted for the American Rescue Plan. President Biden signed the plan into law on March 11, 2021.
The American Families Plan
In April 2021, President Biden shared the American Families Plan. This plan proposed spending about $1.8 trillion. It aimed to increase federal support for childcare, paid leave, pre-kindergarten, community college, and healthcare. This plan was part of his larger "Build Back Better" agenda.
Supporting American-Made Products
President Biden signed an order to support businesses in the U.S. This order means the federal government will try to buy more goods made completely or partly in America.
Energy, Environment, and Climate Change
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On his first day in office, January 20, 2021, President Biden signed an order for the U.S. to rejoin the Paris Agreement. This is an international agreement to fight climate change. Rejoining means more countries are working together to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
On the same day, he stopped the building of the Keystone XL pipeline. This pipeline was criticized by environmental groups. He also ordered a review of over 100 environmental actions made by the previous administration.
Later in January, the Biden administration paused new oil and gas leases on federal lands and waters for 60 days. On January 27, Biden signed more orders to fight climate change. One order made climate change a key part of U.S. national security and foreign policy.
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In 2021, the administration suggested stopping oil and gas drilling for 20 years around Chaco Culture National Historical Park. This park in New Mexico has important ancient sites.
The Biden administration also set a goal to produce 30 gigawatts of offshore wind energy in the U.S. by 2030. This is enough electricity for about 10 million homes. In 2021, they approved the South Fork Wind project. This is a large offshore wind farm that will power many homes on Long Island.
In November 2021, Biden promised to stop and reverse deforestation (cutting down forests) and land degradation by 2030. He made this promise at the COP26 climate summit with over 100 other world leaders.
Immigration Policies
On January 20, 2021, President Biden stopped the building of the U.S.–Mexico barrier (border wall). He also ended a national emergency related to the border. Biden also ended the Trump travel ban that had stopped people from certain Muslim-majority countries from entering the U.S. He also continued protections for young immigrants who came to the U.S. as children.
On January 23, Biden suggested a new immigration bill. This bill aimed to create a way for about eleven million immigrants without permanent legal status to become citizens. It also aimed to make it easier for some foreign workers to stay in the U.S.
In March 2021, the Biden administration gave temporary protected status to people from Venezuela. This helped Venezuelans fleeing their country due to ongoing problems.
Social Issues and Equality
Early in his presidency, Biden focused on "advancing equity, civil rights, racial justice and equal opportunity." On January 25, 2021, he signed an order that lifted the ban on transgender people serving in the military. This reversed a previous ban.
Biden also directed the Department of Justice to reduce the use of private prisons. He ordered that contracts with private prisons should not be renewed. This was to reduce profit-based reasons for putting people in jail, especially racial minorities.
In 2021, Biden made Juneteenth (June 19) a federal holiday. This day celebrates the end of slavery in the U.S. In March 2022, Biden signed the Emmett Till Antilynching Act. This law made lynching a federal hate crime for the first time in American history.
LGBTQ+ Rights
In 2022, the United States Department of Agriculture worked to prevent discrimination against LGBTQ+ people in food programs, like school lunches.
In December 2022, Biden signed the Respect for Marriage Act. This law protects the right to marry for LGBT Americans. It requires states to recognize marriages from other states. It also ensures some religious freedoms. This bill was passed to protect same-sex marriage rights.
Gun Control
President Biden supports stronger gun laws. He wants to bring back a ban on assault weapons and high-capacity magazines. He also wants to make sure background checks are followed more strictly.
Space Exploration and NASA
The Biden administration continued the Artemis program. This program aims to send people back to the Moon. The administration also highlighted NASA's role in studying climate change.
Biden chose Bill Nelson, a former astronaut and senator, to lead NASA. The Senate approved him in April 2021.
In April 2021, Biden proposed a $24.8 billion budget for NASA for 2022. This was an increase from the previous year. The budget included money for the Artemis program and a new Moon landing mission. It also increased funding for NASA's Earth Science Division. This helps use space tools to study and fight climate change.
In December 2021, Biden announced his new plan for U.S. space policy. It focuses on fighting climate change and investing in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) education.
Education Initiatives
In August 2022, President Biden announced a plan to cancel some federal student loan debt. Borrowers earning under $125,000 per year (or $250,000 for married couples) could get up to $10,000 in loan forgiveness. If they received a Pell Grant for college, they could get up to an extra $10,000, for a total of $20,000. The administration estimated this plan would help about 43 million borrowers. About 20 million people would have all their student debt forgiven.
On August 9, 2022, Biden signed the CHIPS and Science Act. This law supports STEM education with funding.
Border Wall Construction
On October 5, 2023, President Biden's administration announced it would add sections to the border wall with Mexico. This was to help manage the high number of people crossing the border. This decision was notable because one of Biden's first actions in office was to stop using taxpayer money for the border wall.
Foreign Affairs and Global Relations
The Biden administration's main goal in foreign policy is to make the U.S. a "trusted leader" among global democracies again. This is to address challenges from countries like Russia and China.
Biden completed the withdrawal of U.S. military forces from Afghanistan. He stated that the U.S. would no longer focus on "nation-building." Instead, U.S. foreign policy would focus on competition with China and Russia.
Biden signed AUKUS, an international security agreement, with Australia and the United Kingdom. He also called for NATO to expand, adding Finland and Sweden. He brought NATO allies together to support Ukraine.
During the 2023 Israel–Hamas war, Biden condemned Hamas and other Palestinian groups as terrorism. He announced American military support for Israel. Biden also showed support and sympathy for Palestinians affected by the war and sent humanitarian aid.
Images for kids
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U.S. National Guard soldiers at the Capitol, January 20, 2021
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Chief Justice John Roberts administers the presidential oath of office to Biden at the Capitol, January 20, 2021.
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President Biden addresses a joint session of Congress, with Vice President Kamala Harris and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, April 28, 2021
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President Biden signs the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act into law, November 15, 2021
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Inflation rate, United States and eurozone, January 2016 through June 2022
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Vice President Kamala Harris meets with State Department Special Envoy for the Northern Triangle, Ricardo Zúñiga, and other officials on the surge of migrants from Central America, March 2021
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President Biden signs his first bill, H.R. 335
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President Biden delivers remarks at The Pentagon, February 2021
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Secretary of State Antony Blinken meets with Chinese State Councillor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi on October 31, 2021
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Biden meeting with Afghan President Ashraf Ghani and Chairman Abdullah Abdullah, June 2021
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President Biden hosted the Quad meeting at the White House, September 24, 2021
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Biden and Russian President Vladimir Putin at the 2021 Russia–United States summit in Geneva, Switzerland
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Biden visits Ukrainian refugees in Warsaw, Poland, March 2022
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President Biden with European leaders at the G20 summit in Rome, Italy, October 30, 2021
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President Biden and French President Macron meeting in Rome, October 29, 2021
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Biden and British Prime Minister Boris Johnson
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Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin and Saudi Arabia's Deputy Minister of Defense Prince Khalid bin Salman, July 2021
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Secretary Blinken, Israeli Foreign Minister Yair Lapid and UAE Foreign Minister Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan on October 13, 2021
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See also
In Spanish: Presidencia de Joe Biden para niños
