Joseph Robinette Biden Jr.
Biden's presidency (2021-2025) was the immediate predecessor to Trump's second term. This profile grades his 2020 campaign promises against his single served term, providing the direct A/B comparison readers want when they look at Trump's 2024 live tracker.
Joseph Robinette Biden Jr.
- among Democratic presidents3rd of 5
- among all presidents5th of 10
All tracked promises
Pass a $1.9T COVID-19 relief package.
American Rescue Plan Act (Pub.L. 117-2) signed March 11, 2021. $1.9T included $1,400 stimulus checks, expanded UI, expanded CTC, and state/local aid.
Pass a bipartisan infrastructure package.
Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (Pub.L. 117-58) signed Nov 15, 2021. $550B in new spending across roads, bridges, broadband, transit, and grid.
Rejoin the Paris Climate Agreement.
Executive Order on day one of presidency (Jan 20, 2021). U.S. formally re-entered Feb 19, 2021.
Cancel student loan debt.
Broad cancellation ($10k-20k/borrower) struck down by SCOTUS in Biden v. Nebraska (June 30, 2023). Narrower targeted cancellations approved ~$138B across PSLF, IDR fixes, and Borrower Defense.
Codify Roe v. Wade.
Women's Health Protection Act passed House Sep 24, 2021 (218-211). Failed Senate cloture May 11, 2022 (49-51). Dobbs decision overturned Roe June 24, 2022.
Pass federal gun-violence-prevention legislation.
Bipartisan Safer Communities Act (Pub.L. 117-159) signed June 25, 2022 — first major federal gun-safety law in 30 years. Did not include assault weapons ban or universal background checks.
Pass the Inflation Reduction Act / climate package.
IRA (Pub.L. 117-169) signed Aug 16, 2022. $369B in climate spending — largest U.S. climate investment ever. Passed Senate 51-50 (Harris tie-break) and House 220-207.
Pass the CHIPS and Science Act.
CHIPS and Science Act (Pub.L. 117-167) signed Aug 9, 2022. $52B for U.S. semiconductor manufacturing, $200B for R&D.
End the war in Afghanistan.
Withdrawal completed Aug 30, 2021. Execution widely criticized — 13 U.S. servicemembers killed at Kabul airport Aug 26, 2021; Afghan government collapsed in days.
Confirm Supreme Court justice Ketanji Brown Jackson.
Confirmed April 7, 2022 (53-47). First Black woman on the Supreme Court.
Defeat Trump in 2024 rematch.
Withdrew from 2024 race July 21, 2024 after debate performance. Endorsed Harris, who lost Nov 5, 2024 by 226-312 electoral votes.
Restore the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (Iran deal).
Talks in Vienna (April 2021 - Sep 2022) failed. JCPOA never restored. Iran nuclear program advanced significantly during the term.
Raise the federal minimum wage to $15.
Raise the Wage Act provisions stripped from American Rescue Plan on Byrd-rule objection. Federal minimum wage remains $7.25/hr at end of term.
Pass comprehensive immigration reform.
U.S. Citizenship Act of 2021 introduced Feb 18, 2021; never reached a floor vote. Lankford-Sinema-Murphy bipartisan border bill collapsed Feb 7, 2024 after Trump pressure on House Republicans.
Support Ukraine against Russian invasion.
Approximately $175B in U.S. aid authorized 2022-2024. Final supplemental signed April 24, 2024 (Pub.L. 118-50) after six-month House Republican delay.
Want the deep-dive book on Jr.?
With enough demand for objective journalism, SEALED Press researches and writes the next book in the series — full case studies, paper trails, and color-coded verdicts on every promise this politician has made.