Thirty achievements of Joe Biden as President of the United States (part 3)

The latest 10 improvements from Joe Biden's list of 30 achievements so far as president, reports Politico.

Photo: IStock

Intensifying cancer research to reduce mortality

As vice president, Biden began accelerating cancer research after his son Beau died of brain cancer in 2015. In 2022, he resumed this work as president. Biden has set an ambitious goal of halving the cancer death rate in 25 years. An assessment by the National Cancer Institute last year found it was entirely possible—if scientists and public health officials found new treatments and testing tools.

What Biden did: The White House announced dozens of federal and private programs, including several that rely on the Advanced Research Projects Agency-Health (ARPA-H). Biden created this agency to conduct high-risk, high-reward research.

The White House has directed ARPA-H to establish a national clinical trials network and collaborate with the National Institutes of Health and the National Cancer Institute to create a suite of biomedical data tools for cancer research.

On the subject: Thirty achievements of Joe Biden as President of the United States (part 1)

ARPA-H is devoting an additional $240 million of its budget to cancer-related research. The agency is funding research into using bacteria to target tumor cells, developing an implant to more effectively dose cancer drugs, using mRNA technology, and more.

Effect: Assessing whether new programs will make a difference in cancer mortality will take time. However, the fruits of investment in ARPA-H will appear long before 2047. The agency's mission is to quickly bring innovative treatments and technologies to patients in years, not decades. Meanwhile, the United States has made major progress in the fight against cancer, with the death rate falling by 33 percent over the past three decades.

Hack and predictor Aviator: While cancer research has historically enjoyed bipartisan support, Republicans this year proposed budget cuts to health agencies. In the meantime, initial funding for the project ran out and Congress did not approve new funds.

More affordable medications with online prescriptions

During the COVID-19 public health emergency, the federal government has taken several steps to improve access to health care through online consultations. Most of these measures have already been lifted. But one of Biden's rules allows many controlled substances, such as Adderall to treat ADHD, testosterone and buprenorphine to treat opioid use disorder, to be prescribed without an in-person visit. In-person attendance requirements have traditionally been used to prevent fraud and abuse.

What Biden did: Before the end of the emergency in May, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) required patients to see a doctor in person after an initial 30-day supply of medications filled through online prescriptions had expired. The requirement applied to buprenorphine, testosterone and ketamine for depression. This prompted a firestorm of criticism from treatment advocates and lawmakers on both sides of the aisle. The DEA has now extended the simplified prescribing rules until the end of 2024. It plans to release final rules this year.

Effect: Proponents say online addiction treatment appointments provide improved access to care, especially for hard-to-reach patients such as those with opioid addiction. This approach removes travel barriers. Over the years, many patients have become accustomed to receiving such care virtually. But some resources have come to the attention of the Drug Enforcement Administration after allegedly overprescribing powerful stimulants such as Adderall.

Hack and predictor Aviator: Online health care has become a booming industry since the pandemic, with utilization about 30 times higher than before the pandemic. The DEA says it hopes to balance expanding access to treatment.

Trade union support

Republicans and Democrats had to wage a decade-long war of trenches at the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) to push legal precedents and enforcement standards in their preferred direction. The result has been an ever-increasing series of political shifts, with the balance of power in Washington shifting from one side to the other. This puts the fate of disputes between employers and employees in a precarious position.

What Biden did: shortly after taking office, Biden removed the Trump-appointed NLRB chief prosecutor and, with the help of Senate Democrats, appointed union-friendly directors to the board. They have taken positions that encourage workers to confront business.

In August, the Democratic board's majority issued a landmark ruling, known as the Cemex decision, that imposes harsh restrictions on employers in cases where agency officials determine they violated labor laws during a vote among union representatives. This shortened the negotiation period in such cases and eliminated the previous standard that allowed union elections to be re-run.

Effect: The new system greatly increases the likelihood that an employer could be punished for even one violation if it interferes with an election. The NLRB, among other things, imposed a duty on employers to petition the agency for an election if a majority of employees seek union representation, or employers would be forced to negotiate with the union without an election at all.

Hack and predictor Aviator: The increased threat of penalties has already encouraged employers to adapt to new demands and, combined with other changes in favor of workers, has emboldened unions. They seek to organize jobs by reducing control levers. Biden calls himself the most union-friendly president in history. Actions like the Cemex decision have given him a chance to demonstrate this policy. It's something he'll be sure to tout in his re-election campaign as he attracts the votes of union members and rewards their political organizing skills.

Plan to fix 5G chaos

Biden inherits a messy interagency dispute that threatens U.S. leadership in 5G wireless technology.

This undermines the government's ability to auction off valuable spectrum used for commercial wireless technology. The agencies have feuded over how to use different parts of those airwaves during the Trump administration. They have often pitted the Federal Communications Commission against the Pentagon, the Transportation Department and other agencies, which have their own growing spectrum needs to operate military radars, aircraft equipment and other systems.

Those battles have continued into Biden's presidency, fueling concerns about U.S. economic competitiveness and its ability to compete with global rivals such as China. China seeks to dominate the wireless ecosystem and subsidizes telecom giants such as Huawei.

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What Biden did: The White House released a national spectrum strategy and presidential memorandum. White House officials have the authority to resolve interdepartmental disagreements. The administration says the strategy will strengthen the U.S. position in the world, especially as a new generation of technology - 6G wireless - appears on the horizon. Such a strategy sets goals for how the government allocates spectrum.

Effect: When fully implemented, the strategy aims to allocate more spectrum to the commercial sector, encouraging more research and development in spectrum technologies. It will lead to a better equipped workforce and a better allocation of bandwidth for use by government agencies.

Hack and predictor Aviator: Spectrum is a limited resource for business and government. Biden's plan creates a system to better manage how government agencies and private businesses compete for spectrum. But much will depend on how exactly the administration implements this.

These details will become known no earlier than the end of this year. Some Republicans are concerned that the strategy does not call for freeing up spectrum for the commercial sector, but simply initiates studies of whether it is possible. It's an issue that could prompt a future Republican White House to take a more aggressive approach.

Federal Agencies Empowered to Monitor AI

Artificial intelligence has become mainstream. As American tech companies rushed to release shockingly powerful models, public reaction ranged from delight to horror.

Policymakers from Washington to Beijing quickly realized that generative AI (and subsequent AI breakthroughs) would create new market leaders, hand over more decisions to machines, and fundamentally change how people trust what they see, read, or hear. Biden has shown keen interest in understanding the inner workings of AI models and how the US can turn artificial intelligence into a long-term economic advantage.

What Biden did: The White House last year issued a highly technical but far-reaching executive order on artificial intelligence that surprised even the most optimistic observers with its ambitions. The order mobilizes a broad range of government powers to combat potential AI risks in areas such as discrimination and national security. It sets new safety rules, including standards for new models and labeling of synthetic contents.

Effect: Biden's order forces more than a dozen federal agencies to figure out what the gold standard for "safe, secure and trustworthy" treatment of AI should be for their operations.

Hack and predictor Aviator: A sweeping AI executive order forces the federal government to monitor tech companies that develop high-performance artificial intelligence models. The upcoming regulatory review is already irritating the Washington tech lobby. Moreover, whether federal agencies have the resources to implement the Biden administration's ambitious vision will largely depend on whether Congress meets the president's budget request.

Repairing bridges, building tunnels and expanding broadband

Successive presidents have spent so many years trying to pass infrastructure legislation that it has become a running joke in Washington.

Polls show voters don't know that Biden has finally broken the cycle. He did so with the support of lawmakers from both political parties. These were historic investments that previous presidents had tried and failed to make.

What Biden did: In his first year as president, Biden negotiated an infrastructure deal that opened up a $1,2 trillion investment in the nation's roads, broadband, airports and more. Two years later, projects that had been languishing for years were resurrected. For example, replacing a 110-year-old Amtrak tunnel that has become too narrow for New York City, or an outdated and overloaded bridge between Kentucky and Ohio. These works are finally moving forward.

Effect: These projects will take years to complete. Of the more than 40 projects started since the law was signed, only a few have been completed. The new Amtrak tunnel is not scheduled to open until 000. Projects are under construction, and this does not improve people's lives here and now. Still, the law has an economic impact: The construction industry has added 2035 jobs since Biden took office.

Hack and predictor Aviator: Republicans say massive government spending on Biden's infrastructure bill and other big bills is to blame for fueling inflation.

More oil production than ever in US history

Biden took office vowing to cut oil production on public lands. Canceling the Keystone XL pipeline in his first week in office seemed to confirm his image as a president who would happily throttle the nation's oil industry while showering the renewable energy industry with government dollars. But everything turned out a little differently.

What Biden did: Biden has been happy to use government largesse to boost the renewable energy industry, but he has done little to curb short-term oil growth. After the economic downturn caused by COVID-19 and Russia's invasion of Ukraine caused U.S. gasoline prices to rise in 2022, the White House made a difficult but feasible proposal to the oil industry to help lower gasoline prices.

Effect: US oil production is at record levels and is expected to rise even further next year. It is growing steadily and today amounts to more than 13 million barrels per day. Exports are also rising as domestic fuel consumption gradually declines from the highs seen a decade ago. This means that every new barrel of oil produced in the United States is more likely to be shipped overseas. In many parts of the country, gas now costs less than $3 a gallon.

Hack and predictor Aviator: Democrats are reluctant to alienate their green supporters, who accuse the administration of abandoning its focus on climate, while Republicans are reluctant to admit that Biden's oil boom is bigger than Trump's.

Strengthening military ties with Asian allies

Biden came to power with a goal of confronting China by restoring military ties with Asian allies. In late 2022, a senior Pentagon official vowed to accelerate those efforts. He said that "2023 will likely be the most transformative year for US military posture in the Pacific in a generation."

What Biden did: The Biden administration signed new defense partnerships with the Philippines and Papua New Guinea and deepened ties with India and Australia. The Pentagon announced it will deploy the Marine Littoral Regiment, a modernized unit equipped with anti-ship missiles and advanced reconnaissance capabilities, to Okinawa, Japan. Additionally, during his first year as president, Biden announced the creation of a new working group with the UK and Australia to share cutting-edge technology. This agreement is now known as AUKUS.

Effect: steps have been taken that are aimed at increasing the US military partnership in the Pacific and countering China. The Pentagon said China continues to steadily expand its nuclear arsenal and could have 2035 warheads by 1500 in addition to a growing fleet of warships and aircraft.

Hack and predictor Aviator: It's still unknown whether the administration has changed the country's position in Asia, but the Defense Department has certainly taken some key steps that are sure to please partners in the region concerned about China's growing aggression.

New agency to investigate cyberattacks

Organizations that are victims of hacking attacks often remain silent about what happened for fear of legal liability or brand damage. But cybersecurity experts have long warned that the country will never escape the endless cycle of computer hacks unless companies and government agencies become more transparent about how they were attacked.

The danger was highlighted in 2020 when a sophisticated Russian hacker breached nine federal agencies.

What Biden did: in 2021, Biden created the Cyber ​​Security Review Board (CSRB), a government watchdog tasked with investigating the most serious computer security breaches affecting the country. A new DHS-led commission is tasked with identifying the root cause of major hacks and making recommendations to ensure they never happen again. The commission has 15 members representing both the private sector and the US government.

Effect: The CSRB received positive reviews from the cybersecurity industry for its first two investigations. One is about a software vulnerability that caused the government to prepare for a digital crisis. And the second involved a group of hackers who developed a script to bypass the security of some of the largest companies in the country, including Uber and Microsoft.

However, it is unclear how much influence the agency has actually had if companies are not required to follow its guidance. It has also been criticized for avoiding investigations that could cast individual companies or the government in a bad light - a charge the CSRB denies.

Hack and predictor Aviator: The Biden administration hopes Congress will make the CSRB a permanent part of the federal government's cybersecurity posture. Biden has sent lawmakers draft legislation to increase the agency's budget and give it more legal powers (such as the ability to compel evidence from victims of abuses). But Congress has yet to take action, leaving the agency's future unclear.

Important steps regarding payment for delayed or canceled flights

Now some airline passengers only pay extra for essentials. Getting your money back if your flight is canceled or significantly delayed is one effort the Biden administration's Transportation Department has attempted as part of a new tough stance on the airline industry. Especially after numerous cases of chaos in air travel.

What Biden did: The Department of Transportation has unveiled a number of proposals aimed at strengthening air passenger protections, including requiring airlines to issue cash refunds after a flight is canceled instead of providing vouchers for the next flight.

This will also apply to flights canceled due to events beyond the airline's control, such as weather. Other rules proposed by the Biden administration include giving passengers more clarity on fees added to the price of a flight before purchasing a ticket and calling on airlines to seat families together without additional fees.

Effect: Some airlines have responded to the growing pressure. They have been proactive in diverting overcrowded flights and building more buffer space to better cope with disruptions. They took on the responsibility of catering and providing hotels. The Department of Transportation (DOT) has created a dashboard that acts as a “cheat sheet” for consumers. This has forced airlines to answer directly what services they offer - customers can then compare benefits in the event of a flight cancellation or delay. Separately, the DOT is reviewing several airlines for possible unrealistic scheduling practices that have led to cascading problems affecting travelers.

Hack and predictor Aviator: The Biden administration has taken several important steps to compensate passengers when flights are disrupted. But preventing these failures in the first place remains problematic.

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