Build Back Better: A breakdown of Biden’s presidential agenda

Amidst the 2020 presidential election, one of the hot topics up for debate was the candidates’ COVID-19 plans, as the virus has directly affected the lives of more than 11 million Americans and killed almost 250,000, according to NBC News. 

In contrast to the Trump Administration’s plan, days after being elected, President-elect Joe Biden has released a clear-cut plan for America’s future, titled “Build Back Better.”

According to his plan, Biden will provide governments with the aid they need to make sure essential workers aren’t being laid off, extend COVID crises unemployment insurance and provide a “comeback package” for small business owners. 

The President-elect also plans to create jobs to combat the virus, helping those who’ve been laid off and working with the Public Health Jobs Corps. Biden and his team are convinced the “economic recovery plan for working families will build our economy back better,” making sure to emphasize that America’s economy will be stronger than before the pandemic. 

Even though Biden kicked off his plan with how he’ll be overcoming the pandemic, he also dove into other topics of this year like global warming and racial equality.

To make climate change a thing of the past, Biden will invest in modern and sustainable infrastructure. He’ll follow that up with an updated proposal that’s likely to include ways to combat the climate crisis, address environmental injustice, create millions of jobs and build a clean-energy economy. 

As for the deeply-rooted systemic racism in America, Biden plans to close the racial wealth gap. He will work to create more affordable housing, invest in Black, Latino and Native American businesses and communities and make equal educational opportunities more accessible. 

Instead of “defunding the police” — which many who act for racial justice believe in — Biden plans to advance policing, though he does believe in criminal justice reform. As he said in an interview with CBS News’ “60 Minutes,” instead of defunding the police he’d actually prefer to give them more funding — a topic Vice President-elect Kamala Harris has yet to speak on.

Biden’s take on taxing the billionaires — another stance that “progressive” Americans and politicians support — will be to ensure that corporations in America pay their fair share in taxes, put their workers and communities before shareholders and make sure their employees’ voices are heard.

This is being done in response to accusations against large corporations giving their workers wages that they can’t support themselves with and unsuitable working conditions — reforms are expected to be on Biden’s list of changes during his presidency.

Throughout the President-elect’s plan, there’s an emphasis on Americans. According to his website, Biden believes that, “the future is made in America, in all of America, by American workers.”