After one of the most contentious elections in U.S. history, the 46th president, Joseph R. Biden Jr., has finally taken office. He comes amidst the worst pandemic in over a century and a deeply divided political landscape. However, in his first 24 hours he has already made good on many of his campaign promises, most notably by putting in place measures that will help those most affected by COVID-19.

“We will press forward with speed and urgency, for we have much to do in this winter of peril and possibility. Much to repair. Much to restore. Much to heal. Much to build. And much to gain,” said President Biden at the beginning of his inauguration speech.

This sense of urgency and need for change was quickly addressed as just a few hours later the first executive orders were signed into law. 

According to Reuters, among the first of Biden’s actions was asking the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to extend the moratorium on evictions until March and suspending student loan payments until the end of September. Along with the suspension of student loan debt, this continues the 0% interest rate on many of the loans, with plans in place to start debt forgiveness. These steps are essential as many people are greatly struggling to retain housing as the pandemic continues. 

Along with these stopgap measures the Biden administration has set to work on reversing many Trump administration environmental policies. Some of these actions include starting the process to reenter the Paris climate accord and revoking the federal permit for the Keystone XL oil pipeline. Significantly, he is also working to reinstate protective legislation that the Trump administration repealed, including placing a moratorium on gas and oil leasing in the Arctic National Wildlife Reserve. Throughout his campaign, Biden made it clear that environmental protection was at the top of his agenda and this can be seen through his early actions. 

On the immigration front, Biden has reversed the travel ban on majority Muslim countries and halted funding to the border wall. Furthermore, he has reversed the directive indicating that undocumented immigrants should be excluded from the census, therefore impacting the apportionment of electoral votes and Congressional seats. 

The Associated Press also reports that among Biden’s first 17 executive orders was an order disbanding the 1776 Commission. This group was created by former President Trump as a means to rally supporters and explain the “true history” of the United States. However, the American History Association and many other historians have pushed back against the report released by the commission as it seems to downplay the history of slavery and overly glorify the Founding Fathers. This move along with an executive order emphasizing Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 are part of Biden’s plan to promote inclusivity and anti-discrimination policies. 

Although these early actions seem promising to many of the president’s supporters, only time will tell if some of his more ambitious policies can be achieved with the help of Congress. 

Photo courtesy of TIME.COM