by Angie Liew
The world held its breath on the 3rd of November: So began the race that would decide the fate of millions; a critical point in history for a nation split by crisis. The future of the country rested in the hands of the people—only they could decide the fate of the 46th U.S. presidency.
Unlike anything seen before, this year’s election shattered historical records, with over 101 million pre-election ballots from the early voters. In the end, with all states having announced their votes, the Biden-Harris administration emerged victorious; Joe Biden having secured 306 electoral college votes, and Donald Trump with 232. This year, Biden narrowly gained the upper hand by flipping Wisconsin, Michigan, Georgia, Arizona, and most importantly, Pennsylvania from red to blue. Meanwhile, Trump on the other hand, saw support more concentrated in the states he had already won in the last election.
Still, with the decisions almost set in stone, celebrations erupted across the country after the media-announced victory for the Democrats, alongside new records including:
- Kamala Harris as the first female U.S. vice-president.
- Democrat Cori Bush from Missouri as the first black Congresswoman.
- Republican Cynthia Lummis as Wyoming’s first ever female senator.
- Democrats Ritchie Torres and Mondarie Jones elected as the first black and openly gay men in Congress.
- Republican Madison Cawthorn, aged 25 as the youngest person in modern history elected into Congress.
A national poll was conducted in various voting exit surveys, and expressed the top 5 key factors that mattered most in deciding which candidate they voted for.
Accordingly, Biden has announced that his administration will emphasize on actively containing the virus and enforcing nationwide mask utilization, all on top of improving vaccine research and treatments. In contrast to Trump’s vision for healthcare, Biden seeks to expand on Obamacare subsidies to ensure that public options become more accessible for people to buy into. This means that those who have already been covered by their employer-based health insurance can opt for the public plan if they choose to do so. To address the economy, Biden’s campaign concentrates on improving the middle class. One of his most well-known policies is to raise the income tax for the top individuals in the country to 39.5%, and for corporate tax to increase from 21% to 28%, all while advocating for a $15 minimum wage.
Additionally, Biden has promised to push for a ban on assault weapons, admitting that the U.S. is facing a “huge problem with guns”. Despite not explicitly supporting the movement to defund the police, he agrees with many of its principles, including the urgency for reforms. His plan involves separating and increasing the funding for affordable public education, summer programs, free community college and mental health/substance abuse treatments, allowing for police officers to “focus on the job of policing”. With regards to undoing the Trump administration’s work in undermining the importance of climate change, Biden has proposed a $2 trillion spend over the next four years on projects focused on clean energy. He aims to put an end to fossil fuel-powered plants by 2035, following a proposal by Washington Governor Jay Inslee.
In the end, it goes without saying that Joe Biden still has his shortcomings. Some critics worry that Biden’s passivity and lack of public appearances compared to Trump will project the image of a weak America—others say that Biden was a bad lawmaker, especially for his past role as the “Architect of the Drug War”, among others. Kamala Harris on the other hand has been called hypocritical after selling herself to be a tough-on-crime and no-nonsense prosecutor, yet she was known to have turned a blind eye to corruption in the police while in her former position as DA in San Francisco. Either way, in the face of such trying times, it is crucial for America and the rest of the world to remember that these politicians hold the fate of a powerhouse nation in their hands. Instead of undermining the extent of their responsibility by viewing the situation as a meme, we must hold them accountable for their actions, no matter the scale.
A toast now, to the upcoming president Joe Biden, and the vice president Kamala Harris. What does their term hold for the future? Only time will tell.
