Biden Needs to Let Voters Know What is in his Agenda for a Second Term

Biden has Focused on Past Accomplishments, But Voters Want to Know his Agenda for the Future

President Biden has so far campaigned on two issues or facts: (1) are his past accomplishments legislatively and diplomatically and (2) his fervent opposition to Donald Trump, who he rightly describes as a would-be dictator and destroyer of our democracy. Those are both important issues with which voters embrace as positive arguments for Biden’s re-election and defeat of convicted felon Donald Trump, who today is meeting, virtually, with his probation officer who helps develop Judge Merchan’s pre-sentence report.

But something is missing from Biden’s campaign: his agenda for his second term. What does Biden seek to accomplish in a second term? Where will he focus his attention? What are his priorities for the future? He has a campaign slogan: “Finnish the Job.” But what does that mean in terms of policy directions and goals? What is the Future Job, and what does Biden plan to do in those four years if the voters retain him in the presidency? Of course presidents have to respond to future developments that interfere with plans, but voters need to know what Biden plans to do in those four future years?

Young people, in particular want, to know where does Biden plan to focus his energies and efforts? The young are focused on the future which they hope will be better than the present, or the present as they perceive it. Middle age people are also focused on the future. Older people like myself tend to focus on the past and their history and accomplishments, but older voters, not ready to hang it up, are also focused on the future and have unsatisfied hopes and dreams they would like to see accomplished.

So what does Biden plan to do in the next four years? His campaign needs to define and publicize those goals and priorities. They need to answer the question: what will Biden do to improve the United States and the world in the next four years.

Let me list some potential priorities and goals for the Biden second term.

Housing prices and lack of affordable supply are major issues for many voters. The Feds high interest rates have increased mortgage rates and made much housing unaffordable, particularly to younger voters. Biden could urge the Fed to start reducing the federal funds rate which will lower mortgage interest rates. A problem, particularly for younger voters and lower-income voters, are rent increases that keep rising making existing rental housing unaffordable. One of the causes of those rent increases are the bulk purchases by real estate investment trusts and other Wall Street investors of existing housing and then increasing rents to improve their profits. There could be regulation of REITs and Wall Street investors limiting their bulk purchases and imposing certain rent controls or limits when they purchase over a specified number of houses in bulk. There could also be financing incentives if they limit bulk purchases and agree to limit rent increases to certain maximums. Another major housing issue is the lack of an appreciable amount of manufactured housing produced on assembly lines. There is an article in the New York Times, on June 10, 2024, about the accomplishments in developing manufactured housing in Sweden. Manufactured housing in Sweden is a major success story. I worked for years as an attorney representing developers seeking to build for sale and rental housing, but the only manufactured housing deal I worked on was one in Philadelphia in 1984.

Food price increases are a major problem for many voters. Biden could propose some incentives for Supermarket chains to lower grocery prices on some items. There could be tax credits or financing incentives allowed to grocers who reduce prices below current levels on individual items.

Manufacturing jobs are a perennial issue. Biden has increased investment in and development of domestic semiconductors in the U.S. through the CHIPS Act. Perhaps incentives could be developed for other industries.

Public infrastructure jobs have increased under the programs administered by Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, and those accomplishments need to be better advertised and enhancements to those programs need to be considered.

The Affordable Care Act has been a success, but there are still many Americans without health insurance. Amendments to the ACA could be suggested to incentivize the uninsured to obtain health insurance before they suffer a medical calamity without coverage.

Biden needs to spell out in greater detail the plans he has for changes in the federal tax code. He has identified goals like allowing the Bush tax cuts to expire in 2025 and to adjust tax rates for corporations and those earning over $400,00. Greater advertising of these policy goals are needed.

The environment is always a concern. The mislabeled Inflation Reduction Act has greatly increased investment in solar, wind power and electric vehicle production. But there needs to be investment in new battery technologies to increase the range of electric vehicle cars. Greatly increased availability and location of charging stations are needed. China has leaped ahead of the U.S. and Europe on EV car production and manufactured EV cars with prices greatly reduced from some in the U.S. market, but Biden reacted, as has Europe, in imposing high tariffs of 100% on Chinese EV cars to protect domestic manufacturers, but perhaps that tariff needs reduction to allow some lower priced Chinese EV cars to be sold in the U.S.

Climate change is a major concern. We keep experiencing higher average temperatures and hurricanes and violent storms appear intensified by global warming. Biden has increased the fleet average gas consumption rates for 2028, but more needs to be done. Of course this problem is made more difficult by the need for all countries to modify policies to lower temperature growth. If current trends continue our children may experience many new problems including crop destruction due to drought.

Russia’s unprovoked attack on Ukraine continues. Biden has recently supplied more advanced weapons and allowed Ukraine to use U.S. weapons to attack military targets inside Russia. But Biden needs to increase delivery of longer range rockets and those F-16’s which, to my knowledge, have not yet been delivered to Ukraine. Putin needs to be stopped or he will continue attacks in Europe to add counties formally behind “The Iron Curtain” to an expanded dictatorial Russia. Putin needs to be pushed out of Ukraine, and increased European and U.S. assistance are needed to achieve that result.

Then there is Gaza. What a tragedy for all sides. Biden has recently done a great job pushing a peace plan that was drafted by Israel but then avoided by Netanyahu. Biden is pushing forward for a seven week cease fire and prisoner exchange. Negotiation, even with very difficult Hamas negotiating partners, is needed, but reliance on military solutions cannot work if peace is to be achieved including the necessary Two-State solution that Netanyahu bitterly opposes. But Israel cannot rescue all of the hostages by massive military strikes as done to free four Israelis when 274 Palestinians were killed in the massive assault. Orders to shoot anyone who moves as was apparently done in Gaza to free four hostages is not a way to win a war in a way where peace can result. I also wonder if conditions for the remaining hostages were made worse by this intense attack resulting in massive deaths to rescue four. Biden needs to increase pressure on Netanyahu to move forward with the Israeli peace proposal, and he needs to get Arab neighbors, including Saudi Arabia, to put pressure on Hamas to accept the Israeli peace plan. More hostages can be released through negotiation than with intense Israeli military rescue missions which may kill Palestinians at the rate of about 75 to1.

So those are some of my ideas for a Biden re-election agenda. I am sure with available resources, Biden could craft and publicize a better agenda for four more years of the Biden Presidency. But Biden needs to look forward and not just recite past accomplishments.