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Seven Achievements by Joe Biden in 2021 That No One Is Talking About
The president's first year in office has included putting the U.S. back at the center of fighting climate change.
www.newsweek.com
1. Fighting Climate Change
One of Biden's very first acts as president was to rejoin the Paris climate accord which former President Donald Trump had left.
2. Judicial Appointments
While former President Trump's high-profile appointees to the U.S. Supreme Court are still making headlines, Biden has been quietly making a series of appointments to the federal courts.
The president has seen 40 federal judges confirmed so far—the most of any president in their first term since the late Ronald Reagan in 1981, and twice as many as Trump appointed during his first year.
3. The AUKUS Submarine Deal
Though it caused significant anger in the French government, the AUKUS submarine deal between the U.S, U.K. and Australia can be viewed as a strategic success in efforts to confront China in the Pacific Ocean.
4. Pausing Federal Executions
Former President Trump ended a 17-year pause on federal executions and 13 people were put to death between July, 2020 and January, 2021. Biden, an opponent of the federal death penalty, has reinstated the pause.
5. Transgender Service Members
During his first week in office, Biden issued an executive order to end a ban on openly transgender people serving in the U.S. military. That restriction had been put in place by Trump.
6. Reuniting Migrant Families
One of former President Trump's most controversial policies involved a zero-tolerance approach to undocumented migrants crossing into the U.S. through the southern border; policy that has been linked to an estimated 5,500 children being separated from their families.
7. Jobs, Wages and GDP
While many Americans remain pessimistic about the U.S. economy amid inflation that's hit a 40-year high, Biden's first year in office has seen considerable improvements in jobs and wage growth.
The unemployment rate fell to just 4.2 percent in November—a 21-month low and jobless claims fell to their lowest levels since 1969 in early December.
Initial jobless claims for the week ending December 18 stood at a seasonally adjusted 205,000, largely unchanged from the previous week. This is below pre-pandemic levels and appears to indicate a strong labor market.
Wages and salaries paid by private businesses also rose 2.4 percent after inflation from January to October, while disposable income grew 3 percent.
Americans are also expected to receive the largest pay increase in over a decade next year, while U.S. Gross Domestic Product (GDP) rose by a revised annual rate of 2.3 percent in the third quarter, beating the previously estimated 2.1 percent.
While it remains to be seen how the new Omicron variant will affect the economy, broad indicators are positive heading into 2022.