Joe Biden has not had the ending he expected; in fact, his plan was to remain president of the United States. His intention was always to be the Democrats’ candidate, to have won the November elections and to have been able to serve a second and final term. But history has not wanted it.
Biden did not even become his party’s candidate. His state of health and the doubts arising from his age (he is 82 years old) after some mistakes and lapses – especially those suffered during his debate with Trump – led the Democrats to pressure him until they convinced him that his resignation was best. His vice president, Kamala Harris, was the candidate. But the change of sign was not enough (or he lacked campaign time) and, finally, Donald Trump, a politician convicted by Justice, won and He will begin his second term as president this January 20.
Delaware’s is doing everything the law allows in recent weekshis schedule and his irregular health. All a sprint legislative that seeks to improve its place in history and, on the other hand, condition Trump’s presidency. You could say that Biden is trying to save some things from the “chainsaw” of MAGA (Make America Great Again). That is why the outgoing president has asked his successor not to make a “settling of accounts” when he returns to the White House.
In an interview with USA Today On the 8th, Biden said that he explained to his successor that it is against “his interests to return (to power) and try to settle scores.” According to the American president, Trump did not respond to this advice and “simply listened”. The Democrat added that he has not yet decided whether to grant preventive pardons to personalities who may be attacked by the incoming administration.
Protect Democratic officials from Trump’s wrath
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Democratic congressmen have been pressuring Biden to protect officials and political figures who would be the target of retaliation for any crime committed and according to US media, White House staff are already discussing granting preventive pardons as a way to protect them from possible revenge. Among the names mentioned for clemency are former Republican Representative Liz Cheney, who was vice chair of the bipartisan committee that investigated Trump’s role in the attack on the Capitol on January 6, 2021. Also, Anthony Fauci, an infectious disease specialist whose role in The handling of the Covid-19 pandemic made him the target of far-right attacks.
Sanctions against Russia…
The outgoing president has ordered expand sanctions against Russia’s energy sectorwhich could cost the Russian economy billions of dollars per month. These new sanctions seek to punish entities that do business with Moscow. The Democratic Administration describes them as the most significant to date against the oil and liquefied natural gas sectors.
The US Office of Foreign Assets Control has sanctioned two Russian oil producers, 183 vessels (mainly oil tankers), insurance companies, dozens of Russian oil traders and service providers. The sanctions affect 69 vessels owned by Sovcomflot, including 54 oil tankers and other product transport vessels, and four LNG (liquefied natural gas) vessels.
Aid for Ukraine
In late December, the Biden Administration announced additional military and financial aid for Ukraine worth $5.9 billion. What the Democrat advanced was about 2.5 billion in military assistance for Zelensky’s troops.
That package includes $1.25 billion in military aid and $1.2 billion more as part of the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative. Additionally, the Treasury Department communicated a additional funding of $3.4 billion for Ukraine.
More weapons for Israel
Biden has approved a sale of arms to Israel for 8 billion dollars. The agreement, which has been informally notified to Congress, includes the supply of heavy bombs, air-to-air missiles, artillery projectiles, ammunition for attack helicopters and small diameter bombs. Most will take a year or more to deliver.
The package, which must be approved by the foreign relations committees of the House of Representatives and the Senate, will join the almost $18 billion in military aid that the US has provided to Israel since the Hamas terrorist attack on October 7, 2023. Since then, at least 46,500 people have died in Gaza, more than half of them women and children. Washington provides $3.8 billion annually in aid to Israeli security.
Cuba is no longer terrorist
This Tuesday, the president removed Cuba from the list of countries that promote terrorism. He did it less than a week after being relieved by Trump, who in his first term placed the island on that list which carries severe penalties. Biden made this decision to promote the release of several Cuban prisoners as part of a process that is mediated by the Vatican.
The outgoing president also suspended the ability of US citizens to sue in US courts for the expropriation of their properties in Cuba and lifted some financial sanctions. As a result of these actions, the White House anticipated that “in a relatively short time” the release of a “significant” number of prisoners in Cubaincluding people who participated in the protests on July 11, 2021.
Ban drilling in the oceans
Biden announced executive action on January 6 to permanently ban future oil and gas extraction development offshore in parts of the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. The measure is designed to make undoing it especially difficult for the incoming Trump administration.
The outgoing president’s action will ban new oil and gas leases on more than 250 billion hectares of the US ocean. The measure will prevent oil companies from leasing water for new drilling along the entire East Coast, the eastern Gulf of Mexico, the coasts of Washington, Oregon and California, and parts of the northern Bering Sea in Alaska.
Pensions for public employees
Biden signed a few days ago a law that will increase the pensions of about 3 million of former public employees, from teachers to firefighters, who were prevented from fully collecting their Social Security benefits. It is the Social Security Fairness Act, approved last December in Congress after the agreement of Republican and Democratic legislators.
The rule eliminates two federal regulations in force for almost 40 years that limited the payment of Social Security benefits to former public employees if they collected pensions from other sources. In a ceremony at the White House, the still president claimed that the Social Security system serves so that people can “retire with security and dignity.”
California fires
In the face of the devastating wildfires in California, Biden and Governor Gavin Newsom have jointly activated a combination of state and federal resources to assist those affected. The president announced a one-time payment of $770 for affected people.
The still tenant of the White House promised that the federal government will cover one hundred percent of the expenses incurred by California in their response to fires. That is, “expenses such as cleaning up debris and hazardous materials, temporary shelters, salaries for emergency teams and everything necessary to protect lives and property,” Biden said.
Pardons…not just for your son
In the largest single-day act of clemency in US history, Biden commuted the sentences of approximately 1,500 people who were released from prison and placed in home confinement during the coronavirus pandemic. Additionally, he pardoned 39 Americans convicted of non-violent crimes.
The mass pardon followed one previously granted to his son Hunter, prosecuted for tax and weapons crimes. Biden said he would never use the pardon power that the Constitution gives him for the benefit of his son, but finally, before leaving the Oval Office, he did it.
Debt forgiven for 5 million students
The president announced this Monday the decision to forgive the debt owed to the universities of another 150,000 peoplewhich brings the total number of Americans benefited by his Administration in this regard to more than 5 million.
These 150,000 debtors now eligible include 85,000 individuals who attended schools, colleges or university centers and were “deceived” by their payment systems and interests; 61,000 people with a lack of “total or permanent capacity” to pay their loans, and 6,100 public officials, Biden said.
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