US President Joe Biden April 27, 2021 at the White House. – CNP / NEWSCOM / SIPA
- Joe Biden will pass the 100 days milestone in the White House this Thursday.
- Before that, he will address Congress on Wednesday evening and should congratulate himself on the success of the vaccination campaign.
- But the midterm elections next year could be difficult for Democrats, especially with the Mexican border crisis.
From our correspondent in the United States,
A normal president for exceptional times. Joe Biden, who is due to address Congress on Wednesday evening and will pass the milestone of his first 100 days in the White House on Thursday, seems to have been inspired by “no drama Obama” – calm, diligent and with a tight-knit team – for his beginnings. In three months, more than half of American adults have received at least one dose of the vaccine, Congress has approved a record-breaking stimulus package, and Joe Biden has repositioned the United States on the international scene, especially on the climate. All without controversy or major blunder, and with 54% of Americans satisfied.
“His greatest success is that unlike Donald Trump, he’s not the center of attention. Joe Biden is focused on the task, without distraction, ”said former Republican Party spokesman Doug Heye. But as the midterm elections loom next year, Republicans hope to take advantage of the migration crisis on the border with Mexico to regain control of the House.
His successes: Vaccination and the economy
He had set himself a modest goal of 100 million doses administered in 100 days – which would have been achieved by continuing at the rate of vaccinations at the end of Donald Trump’s mandate. In the end, the United States did more than twice as good. Over 54% of adults have received at least one dose, and 37% are fully immunized. If the trend continues, anyone of legal age could be vaccinated by mid-July.
“Donald Trump probably deserves more credit than he gets. With Operation Warp Speed, he negotiated with the labs like a CEO, ”Judge Doug Heye. But according to him, the priorities set and the funds released by the Biden administration have made it possible to improve the logistics between the federal government and the states on vaccination, with a daily rhythm which tripled between January and April. “Today, the pandemic appears to be under control, and it is vital for the economy to pick up,” continues Heye. The boss of the Fed, Jerome Powell, also estimated last month that the country was “on the right track”, while remaining cautious.
Joe Biden, who can congratulate himself on having passed by Congress a stimulus plan of nearly 2,000 billion dollars, wants to double the stake with an equivalent envelope for infrastructure and climate. But the political battle promises to be much more complicated, including among the Democrats, who have no margin in the Senate. And if a compromise with the Republicans to reform at least the use of force among the police is not excluded, any fight to restrict firearms in the United States is “lost in advance”, believes Doug Heye, while a majority of 60 votes out of 100 would be necessary in the Senate.
The black spot: The migration crisis
In March, 172,000 people attempting to enter the United States illegally were arrested at the border with Mexico. A record over the last fifteen years which is partly explained by seasonal factors, two hurricanes that devastated Central America last fall, poverty exacerbated by Covid-19 and a call for air after the presidency by Donald Trump. “But the Biden administration gives the impression that it was not prepared”, with overcrowded reception centers, Judge Doug Heye. While a majority of Americans disapprove of his handling of immigration, Joe Biden gave Kamala Harris a poisonous gift by entrusting him with this file.
The Republicans were not asking for so much. Kevin McCarthy, who traveled to the border, hopes to become Speaker of the House next year if Republicans return to the majority in the Midterms in November 2022. Traditionally, the party in power is indeed sanctioned at mid-term. Donald Trump, who finds it difficult to exist without his Twitter and Facebook accounts, is increasing his press releases and is active behind the scenes to support candidates carrying his program America First.
Even if Democrats seem in a better position to retain control of the Senate, majority Republicans in the House could then cripple the second half of Joe Biden’s term, as they did for Obama in 2010. Biden, who hopes to “transform” America after Covid-19 as Franklin Roosevelt did after the Great Depression with the New Deal, may only have 18 months to get there.