Biden Must First Address Coronavirus. Minimal Can Be Done Otherwise

After the results of the Georgia Senate run-off races, Democrats are going to have full control of Congress and the Presidency for the first time since 2009, giving complete legislative power outside of a Republican filibuster and maybe some other sneaky stuff I’m missing. In terms of Biden’s first two years in office it means a better chance that more progressive legislation will be introduced than otherwise would have been the case without Senate control. Even with full control and the mandate that comes with it, introducing and hashing out legislation to address pressing issues such as Police Brutality, Medicare for All, or Climate Change/Green New Deal will take time and Biden’s first week should be focused on addressing Coronavirus as nothing else will return to “normal” until the virus is addressed.

The current occupant of the White House has done little to nothing in addressing the virus. It’s been laughable the lack of leadership shown, mostly because there’s not an incredible amount the President can do to adequately lead, and most of ‘leading’ pertains to following the guidelines set out by their own government agencies. Biden will likely set out a mask mandate requiring masks at government facilities and when conducting government business. He himself will also wear a mask to convey that it is important to do so. This will reinforce, not contradict, messages sent by public health officials, hopefully resulting in more public participation for mask wearing and in turn less transmission in the immediate future.

Utilizing the Defense Production Act will also give the Biden Administration the ability to centrally monitor and run the vaccine distribution process in an effort to prevent bottlenecks and miscommunications between states and distributors. This has already become an issue as early vaccination targets are not being met in part due to miscommunication between states. Additionally, the Coronavirus vaccine has a lengthier administration process that takes multiple shots and should be overseen by the federal government to monitor from state to state.  

-Werblus