“The Republican Party must learn to quit underestimating Biden.” Republican former House Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich.

This month, America watched newly-elected House Republicans exit their clown car, climb into a dumpster, and then light it on fire, as the tried to elect a Speaker of the House. The sad spectacle, though, offers a stark juxtaposition to how successful Joe Biden’s administration, and Congressional Democrats have been over the last two years. In fact, it’s not overstatement to assert the Biden’s first two years in office have been as successful and consequential as any president’s, in at least 75 years.

Let’s review the record:

· The American Rescue Plan Act gave Americans $1.9 trillion in relief funds to both help the nation through the worst pandemic in a century, and also to create a catalyst to jump-start the nation’s economic recovery. The legislation’s achievements are notable: poverty fell by 22% from 2020 to 2021; Americans had more disposable income in 2021 than in 2019; poverty among our nation’s children was reduced by 39% from 2020 to 2021; the Act’s extension of unemployment insurance programs kept millions of American households afloat; its housing assistance provisions kept tens of thousands of households from becoming homeless; the legislation increased the Affordable Care Act’s subsidies, which improved affordability and coverage for millions of Americans.

As a result, in 2022, the nation’s uninsured rate reached an all-time low of 8 percent. Moreover, America’s unemployment rate fell to 3.4%, the lowest since 1969

· The Inflation Reduction Act allows Medicare to negotiate drug prices, reduces the price of insulin to $35 per month for seniors, caps yearly out-of-pocket drug costs at $2,000, allows hearing aids to be purchased over the counter, and makes illegal surprise billing by doctors.

It invests close to $370 billion in renewable energy. The law creates long-term tax benefits essential for wind and solar companies, and jump-starts manufacturing of renewable energy technologies and electric vehicles; these incentives are projected to create over 9 million jobs in these industries over the next 10 years. Along with old growth forest protections and other measures, the law is expected to reduce US climate emissions by 40% over the next eight years.

· The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act ensures that $17 billion will be spent refurbishing America’s ports, $25 billion to modernize its airports, $550 billion to repair the nation’s roads, bridges and water pipes, and will also provide broadband access to rural communities. All told, the legislation will create some 1.5 million jobs over the next decade.

· The CHIPS Act provides $54 billion in grants for semiconductor manufacturing and research, tens of billions to support regional technology hubs and a tax credit covering 25% of investments in semiconductor manufacturing through 2026. The bill also authorizes $100 billion spending over five years on scientific research, including more than $80 billion for the National Science Foundation.

Together, these bills create a viable US industrial policy for the 21st Century. This enables America to compete robustly with China and other countries for the industries that will define the world’s economy for the next many decades. This enhances national security, and protects the US from crippling supply chain interruptions like those suffered from Covid’s effects.

· The Respect for Marriage Act guarantees the federal rights, benefits and obligations in the federal code for same-sex couples and interracial couples.

· In his first two years, President Biden appointed, and Senate Democrats confirmed, 97 new federal judges. That’s more than any President since Kennedy.

· The Omnibus Spending Bill, passed in December 2022, invests in education, childcare, and healthcare, giving boosts to the National Institute of Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and investing in mental health programs. It addresses the opioid crisis and invests in food security programs and in housing and heating assistance programs. It invests in the Environmental Protection Agency and the National Park Service and makes a historic investment in the National Science Foundation. It raises the pay for members of the armed forces, and it invests in state and local law enforcement. It will also provide supplemental funding of about $45 billion for Ukraine aid and $41 billion for disaster relief. It reforms the Electoral Count Act to prevent a plan like that hatched by former president Donald Trump and his cronies to overturn an election.

· The PACT Act expanded VA health benefits for veterans exposed to burn pits, Agent Orange and other toxic substances. Republicans voted to block this aid for America’s vets, until public shaming made them reverse their votes.

· When Putin invade Ukraine, Biden was instrumental in convincing NATO, which former president Trump had quite deliberately weakened, to stand together against Russian aggression. Biden pulled together allies around the globe to sanction Russia. And he urged countries around the world to rush money and supplies to help Ukraine resist Russian aggression. The Biden administration continues its unwavering support of Ukraine in its war against Russia’s invasion, even as many Republicans suggest curtailing that support.

So Biden has succeeded in passing the largest economic recovery plan since FDR, the largest infrastructure plan since Eisenhower, the most federal judges confirmed since JFK, the second largest healthcare bill since LBJ and the largest climate bill in history. He brought the country through the nightmare of the pandemic without a recession, and the US has the highest rate of employment in 50 years. Millions of families and kids escaped poverty, and got health insurance coverage. He established an industrial policy to keep America more safe and prosperous, and rallied the world to unify against Russian aggression. Moreover, he did it with a Senate evenly split 50/50, and slender, single-digit majority in the House. Consequently, much of this legislation was passed with little to no support from House Republicans.

Nicely done, President Biden. For America’s sake, let’s hope the Republicans keep underestimating you.

– Sean Quintal writes on behalf of the La Mesa Foothills Democratic Club.