The huge Biden accomplishment that no one is talking about
There is no question that the Biden administration has accomplished a significant amount of progress since January 20, 2021. While some of it makes headlines, much of the progress proceeds quietly, creating jobs while changing people and communities for the better. The White House just released fact sheets highlighting such progress with two major endeavors.
First, in connection with the start of Infrastructure Week, the White House is citing the “tremendous progress” with rebuilding America’s infrastructure over the past 18 months since President Biden signed the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. So far, over $220 billion in funding has been announced, with over 32,000 projects across 4,500 communities. By contrast, the White House reminds us that Infrastructure Week “became a punchline” under Donald Trump.
The projects are diverse in both type and geography. For example, $69 million has been awarded to upgrade and expand Terminal C at Orlando International Airport in Florida. In Cincinnati, Ohio and Covington, Kentucky, over $1.6 billion in federal grant funds will upgrade an existing bridge and build a new one, boosting a critical freight route from Canada to Florida. This project will begin later this year after “years of failed promises,” according to the fact sheet.
The Biden administration is also marking extraordinary progress one year after launching the Global Health Worker Initiative. The goal has been to support, equip, and protect a robust health workforce to provide essential public health functions during the COVID-19 pandemic and prepare for future health threats. In 2022, the United States has provided roughly $10 billion in global health program funding toward this initiative.
The funds support a wide range of programs and efforts. For example, USAID, together with the Africa One Health University Network and the Southeast Asia One Health University Network, supported workforce development in 120 universities across 17 countries in Africa and Southeast Asia. Through this partnership alone, USAID successfully trained over 7,000 health workers to prevent, detect, and respond to global health security threats.
The Biden administration has consistently promoted legislation and launched initiatives that help the entire United States advance and succeed. Whether or not we happen to read about it, substantial progress is being made in many areas every day. This is the Biden administration’s legacy, and it’s something to be proud of.
Ron Leshnower is a lawyer and the author of several books, including President Trump’s Month