President Biden will address a joint session of Congress for the first time at 11:00am 29 April (AEST) / 9:00pm 28 April (ET). Expect Biden to touch on his American Rescue/Jobs/Families Plans as a key focus of the address. These three plans total US$6 trillion in potential spending. In his first 100 days, Biden has:

  • Surpassed all COVID-19 vaccine targets
  • Organised a Leaders Summit on Climate, which led to new commitments from Prime Minister Morrison
  • Organised the first Indo-Pacific Quadrilateral Summit between the United States, Australia, India and Japan
  • Overturned President Trump’s ‘Muslim Travel Ban’
  • Established a task force to reunite children and families separated at the border

However, some targets have proved elusive, including:

  • Making DACA permanent
  • Defunding President Trump’s border wall
  • Reversing President Trump’s corporate tax cut
  • Extending the Voting Rights Act
  • Stopping the separation of families at the US-Mexico border

Filibuster threats and Democrats threatening to break ranks have stymied some efforts. Yet, President Biden has still signed 11 bills into law, issued 42 executive orders, and filled 21 out of 23 cabinet positions.

Read newsletter →