The President's request expands on the largest defense budget in the history of the United States. Biden can find $813 billion in one year, for a bloated budget larger than the next eleven countries combined, but can't find the millions or billions for improving the domestic life of the citizens of the United States. This budget propelled global military spending to the highest in the history of the world. The United States continues to flex its military might, killing innocent civilians in brutal wars of aggression, with 11 dead in Libya.
The Coronavirus:
Cases rebounded from the previous month, as a new sub-variant spread across the United States. Daily cases rose from 27,600 to 56,000. Hospitalizations remained steady; 16,000 to 17,000. Fortunately deaths continued to decrease, from 658 to 321 a day. But hospitalizations and deaths lag behind cases, so these might rise next month. Since we can't know which way this pandemic is headed, another major variant, or slow decline into something more akin to the flu, it pays to be prepared. Senators may have reached a deal to fund a $10 billion coronavirus package. This number falls far short of what the country needs. In a 50-50 Senate, it may not pass.Immigration:
The United States has an immigration issue. Republicans reject nearly all forms of immigration. The Democratic party believes in the right to asylum, to an America in which immigration is a strength, not a conspiracy to replace Caucasians citizens. During Trump's presidency, the White House used the pandemic as an excuse to violate the rights of asylum seekers on the southern border. The current inhabitant of the White House wants to move on from the pandemic, removing restrictions on masking, reducing CDC isolation periods, and telling everyone to go out and act like normal. It's not surprising that the CDC declared it is ending Title 42. Title 42 is a law from 1944 that allows the CDC to take emergency action to deal with national health issues. The Trump administration contorted it to prevent immigrants from coming into the United States across the southern border, illegally forcing asylum seekers to remain in Mexico. The same administration that was saying, coronavirus isn't a serious issue so don't wear masks, was also saying, coronavirus is such a serious issue people can't come into the country. Obvious doublespeak.Conservative Democrats are working with Republicans to prevent the CDC from lifting Title 42. At least five Democrats say the White House needs a plan to respond to a surge in migrants at the border. That's absurd! Title 42 is a health measure. If the health crisis is over, then remove the health measure. Title 42 is not a law to manage immigration.
But Biden has basically abdicated his policy shaping powers. If conservative Democrats say they want something, Biden caves. A U.S. District judge appointed by Trump, prohibited the CDC from ending Title 42.
The Environment:
The world shouldn't need any more warnings to recognize its dire predicament. Yet, numerous scientific agencies keep sounding the alarm, because the world still isn't taking notice. The IPCC said its, “now or never,” to avoid cruising past the 1.5°C limit. Greenhouse gasses have to peak in 2025, and fall by half by 2030. The cost to implement these changes isn't significant, compared to global economic output. Advances in green technology have made the cost cheap compared to the economic damage climate change will wreak. The entrenched interests of fossil fuel companies, and their bought politicians, are the only impediment. The UN secretary accused governments of lying to their citizens about the crisis.Global warming is raising the temperature of the oceans, causing a loss of oxygen in expansive parts of the sea, that risks a mass extinction of marine life.
The Postmaster General is exacerbating the issue by pushing through a plan to buy thousands of gas guzzling trucks to replace the Postal Service's aging fleet. Biden could remove Trump's Postmaster General, but he won't. Instead, sixteen states are suing to force the Postal Service to buy an electric fleet of trucks.
Nominal Democratic Senator Joe Manchin is searching for 60 senators willing to sign some sort of environmental legislation to combat climate change. Since Manchin has no interest in a climate bill himself, and the Republican party is antagonistic to such an idea, this is a waste of time.
Also, Biden's EPA is failing to protect the public from PFAS, by establishing a definition that is too narrow. The EPA is using industry's definition, instead of the scientific definition. This will allow corporations to pollute without consequence. PFAS are linked to cancer, birth defects, and kidney disease, among other issues.
Hunter Biden:
President Biden's son remains a corrupt thorn lodged in his side. Trump and his children racked up secret service bills, but Hunter isn't any better. Currently the service is paying $30,000 a month on rent alone to protect Hunter. More dangerous are the escalating investigations into Hunter's business deals. Hunter has spent most of his adult life profiting off his father's position as Senator and Vice President. He made millions from Ukraine and China. Hunter is clearly corrupt, but unfortunately corruption isn't always illegal. Time will tell if he avoided paying taxes, laundered money, or acted as an unregistered foreign agent.Supreme Court:
In some good news for Biden, he was able to rally his slim Senate majority to confirm Ketanji Brown Jackson to the Supreme Court in a 53 to 47 vote. This still leaves the court with three liberals and six conservatives.Other:
Multiple states passed legislation banning medical care for transgender youth. The Department of Justice challenged Alabama in court over its recent law.Americans Believe Nothing is Better:
Biden made two simultaneous promises in his campaign to be president. To the young and progressive he promised to be the second coming of FDR. He had a progressive policy checklist, mostly cribbed from his rivals, Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren. To the elderly, and moderate Republicans, he promised a steady hand, an experienced demeanor, and a promise that nothing would fundamentally change. To those people he was promising a return to a pre-Trump USA. His presidency has shown that he continues to promise progressive policies, but always sides with conservative Democrats.He ruled out forgiving $50,000 student debt per borrower. He won't unilaterally cancel even $10,000 per person. As mentioned in the previous monthly article, police killings of civilians are at an all time high and he promised to fund the police. But the public keeps seeing videos of police ruthlessly killing African Americans.
Meanwhile, those who said Biden would be a steady captain at the tiller are nervous. They praise his reaction to Russia's invasion of Ukraine, but domestically his policies are stalled or spiraling the drain. The economy shrunk for the first three months of 2022, the first contraction since 2020. Other signs aren't encouraging. While Trump was president, he touted the stock market when it was up. When it was down, liberals attacked him. When Biden came into office, Biden stans did the same. When the stock market is up, they point to it as a sign of the President's success. When it is down, they ignore it, and try to deflect criticism. Some advice; don't use the stock market as a measure of the President's success.
Poll Average according to 538.com
Approve: 41.7%
Disapprove: 52.3%
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