Joe Biden's 2020 policies: the President-elect's views on Covid, immigration and the environment
With 306 electoral collage votes, Joe Biden has won the US presidential election with running mate Kamala Harris, after receiving the most votes of any US candidate in history. Here's what we know about Mr Biden's plans for January 20. Read more: Full 2020 US election results here Joe Biden and Kamala Harris Credit: AFP What does Mr Biden stand for? Mr Biden has spent almost five decades in politics and has used his long experience in Washington to portray himself as a steady hand able to calm a country in chaos. A key part of his campaign was appealing to reluctant voters who have a nostalgia for the Obama-era, regularly referencing his time in the administration and promising to re-enter many of the agreements formed during that time. Mr Obama recently joined forces with Mr Biden on his campaign trail. Mr Biden has mentioned re-entering the Paris Climate Accord, the global climate agreement Mr Trump withdrew the US from, as well as rescinding the Republican's signature tax cuts. What are his key policy promises? Coronavirus The president-elect has promised 100 million Covid vaccinations in 100 days, after criticising Donald Trump's failed pledge to vaccinate 20 million Americans by the end of the year. Mr Biden has said he will invoke the Defense Production Act in order to deliver on the mammoth task, and launch an education campaign to combat vaccine scepticism. One of Joe Biden's first acts was to unveil the team he has tasked with leading the fight against Covid-19, as announced in his victory speech. Mr Biden and his vice president, Kamala Harris, met the 13-strong Covid-19 task force in Mr Biden's home state, Delaware, on November 9. Members of Mr Biden's task force include respected scientists and public health experts, who have served both Republican and Democrat administrations and its three co-chairs have a range of political and scientific experience. He has indicated he will make quick appointments of the Cabinet secretaries who will be key to the response. That includes his health secretary, treasury secretary, and the director of the National Economic Council. Biden has already named a former surgeon general, Dr. Vivek Murthy, and an ex-Food and Drug Administration commissioner, David Kessler, as co-chairs. Mr Biden has said he would quickly appoint a "supply commander" who would be responsible for producing and distributing tests, masks, and vaccines. There will also be a "pandemic board" deciding what resources were required. He will prioritise seeking advice from Dr Anthony Fauci, America's leading infectious diseases expert, and make him a pivotal figure in the response. Health care The president-elect has made clear that health care remains a top priority for him. It's an issue that is deeply personal for him; his first wife and young daughter were killed in a car crash in 1972 and his oldest son Beau died of brain cancer in 2015. "I couldn't imagine what it would have been like if we didn't have the health care they needed immediately," he said during the campaign. Mr Biden said he will expand the Affordable Care Act, the signature legislative achievement of the Obama administration which expanded health insurance to millions of Americans. He proposed expanding the ACA and implementing a plan that will insure "an estimated 97 per cent of Americans". Mr Biden said he would achieve this by offering Americans the option to enrole in a public health insurance programme similar to Medicare, which offers coverage to the elderly, and lowering the age of eligibility for Medicare. However, he does not support the universal public health insurance plan backed by progressive Democrats like Bernie Sanders. Having lost seats in the House of Congress and with the Senate balance depending on two run-off elections in January, expansion of the Care Act will prove difficult. But there is bipartisan support for legislation restraining prescription drug price increases and for reducing the proportion of prescription drugs costs that Medicare recipients must fork out. Environment Mr Biden has laid out an ambitious climate plan which includes overhauling the country's energy industry to achieve 100 per cent emissions-free power by 2035. The plan includes a pledge to invest $2 trillion in clean-energy infrastructure, along with a promise to build 1.5 million new energy-efficient homes and social housing units. In a nod to liberal voters, who had been somewhat unenthusiastic about Mr Biden's candidacy, the Democrat said the expansive climate plan would be funded by a mix of government investment and increasing the corporate income tax rate from 21 to 28 per cent to ask "the wealthiest Americans to pay their fair share". He shied away from mentioning a ban on fossil fuels such as oil, coal and gas - a politically sensitive topic in battleground states like Pennsylvania and Michigan - instead focusing on incentives for car manufacturers to produce zero-emission electric vehicles
With 306 electoral collage votes, Joe Biden has won the US presidential election with running mate Kamala Harris, after receiving the most votes of any US candidate in history.
Here's what we know about Mr Biden's plans for January 20.
Read more: Full 2020 US election results here
Joe Biden and Kamala Harris Credit: AFP
What does Mr Biden stand for?
Mr Biden has spent almost five decades in politics and has used his long experience in Washington to portray himself as a steady hand able to calm a country in chaos. A key part of his campaign was appealing to reluctant voters who have a nostalgia for the Obama-era, regularly referencing his time in the administration and promising to re-enter many of the agreements formed during that time. Mr Obama recently joined forces with Mr Biden on his campaign trail. Mr Biden has mentioned re-entering the Paris Climate Accord, the global climate agreement Mr Trump withdrew the US from, as well as rescinding the Republican's signature tax cuts.
What are his key policy promises?
The president-elect has promised 100 million Covid vaccinations in 100 days, after criticising Donald Trump's failed pledge to vaccinate 20 million Americans by the end of the year.
Mr Biden has said he will invoke the Defense Production Act in order to deliver on the mammoth task, and launch an education campaign to combat vaccine scepticism.
One of Joe Biden's first acts was to unveil the team he has tasked with leading the fight against Covid-19, as announced in his victory speech. Mr Biden and his vice president, Kamala Harris, met the 13-strong Covid-19 task force in Mr Biden's home state, Delaware, on November 9.
Members of Mr Biden's task force include respected scientists and public health experts, who have served both Republican and Democrat administrations and its three co-chairs have a range of political and scientific experience.
He has indicated he will make quick appointments of the Cabinet secretaries who will be key to the response. That includes his health secretary, treasury secretary, and the director of the National Economic Council.
Biden has already named a former surgeon general, Dr. Vivek Murthy, and an ex-Food and Drug Administration commissioner, David Kessler, as co-chairs.
Mr Biden has said he would quickly appoint a "supply commander" who would be responsible for producing and distributing tests, masks, and vaccines. There will also be a "pandemic board" deciding what resources were required.
He will prioritise seeking advice from Dr Anthony Fauci, America's leading infectious diseases expert, and make him a pivotal figure in the response.
The president-elect has made clear that health care remains a top priority for him. It's an issue that is deeply personal for him; his first wife and young daughter were killed in a car crash in 1972 and his oldest son Beau died of brain cancer in 2015. "I couldn't imagine what it would have been like if we didn't have the health care they needed immediately," he said during the campaign.
Mr Biden said he will expand the Affordable Care Act, the signature legislative achievement of the Obama administration which expanded health insurance to millions of Americans. He proposed expanding the ACA and implementing a plan that will insure "an estimated 97 per cent of Americans". Mr Biden said he would achieve this by offering Americans the option to enrole in a public health insurance programme similar to Medicare, which offers coverage to the elderly, and lowering the age of eligibility for Medicare. However, he does not support the universal public health insurance plan backed by progressive Democrats like Bernie Sanders.
Having lost seats in the House of Congress and with the Senate balance depending on two run-off elections in January, expansion of the Care Act will prove difficult. But there is bipartisan support for legislation restraining prescription drug price increases and for reducing the proportion of prescription drugs costs that Medicare recipients must fork out.
Mr Biden has laid out an ambitious climate plan which includes overhauling the country's energy industry to achieve 100 per cent emissions-free power by 2035. The plan includes a pledge to invest $2 trillion in clean-energy infrastructure, along with a promise to build 1.5 million new energy-efficient homes and social housing units. In a nod to liberal voters, who had been somewhat unenthusiastic about Mr Biden's candidacy, the Democrat said the expansive climate plan would be funded by a mix of government investment and increasing the corporate income tax rate from 21 to 28 per cent to ask "the wealthiest Americans to pay their fair share".
He shied away from mentioning a ban on fossil fuels such as oil, coal and gas - a politically sensitive topic in battleground states like Pennsylvania and Michigan - instead focusing on incentives for car manufacturers to produce zero-emission electric vehicles. In a move that was unlikely to have pleased the US oil lobby, Mr Biden said in the second debate that he would "transition from the oil industry". Mr Trump jumped on this as a blunder, arguing it would put off voters in Texas and Pennsylvania.
A regular refrain of Mr Biden is his desire to restore America's standing on the world stage. The Democrat has shown strong support for the country's relationships with its allies, particularly the NATO alliance. He has also spoken of holding China accountable for unfair trade practices but suggested he would tackle this through an international effort rather than through trade wars.
Tax plan
Mr Biden said he will raise taxes on the wealthiest Americans, which he defines as those with an income of more than $400,000 per year. He wants to impose a marginal tax rate increase – so the more a worker earns over that threshold, the more tax they must pay. Most of those affected are in the top 1-2 per cent of earners in the US. While lower-income Americans would not be taxed directly, critics of Mr Biden's plan said workers would be forced to accept lower wages and lower investment returns because of the Democrat's planned corporate tax rises, from 21 per cent to 28 per cent. Mr Biden also wants capital gains and dividends to be taxed at income tax rates.
Mr Biden has criticised Mr Trump's "America First" nationalism and the Democrat is much keener on building relationships with America's allies. Mr Biden will look to repair some relationships, including with NATO and the World Health Organisation. He would also rejoin the Paris Climate Agreement. Mr Biden said he would enter into another international deal with Iran, which was agreed by President Obama and ripped up by Mr Trump. Despite pressure from the left of his party, Mr Biden is a supporter of Israel. Mr Biden has also suggested he would push for new sanctions on the Russian regime and he has been critical of Brexit.
Joe Biden committed to tackling systemic racism in America during his victory speech on Saturday.
"At those moments when this campaign was at its lowest ebb, the African-American community stood up again for me," said the president-elect, hammering on the podium.
"You've always had my back and I'll have yours."
Read more: How Kamala Harris has hit back at sexist slurs
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