The countdown to Joe Biden’s departure from the White House has officially begun.
After the US president announced he would not seek re-election on Sunday, many are congratulating him on a lifetime of public service.
He arrived in the Oval Office, having served as a Delaware senator for almost 40 years, and President Obama’s vice president for eight.
But what has he achieved since taking office in January 2021?
More Americans have health insurance
Almost immediately after taking office, Joe Biden signed two executive orders to reinstate the Affordable Care Act.
He described it as “undoing the damage Trump had done” after Mr Trump made failed attempts to repeal ‘Obamacare’.
Read more:Where does Kamala Harris stand on key issues?Who is Kamala Harris?Inside Biden’s historic decision to step aside
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Who could replace Joe Biden?
Although health insurance levels hit an all-time low of 7.2% in the second half of last year, they rose above 20 million in early 2024, with new sign-ups concentrated in traditionally Republican states such as West Virginia, Louisiana, Texas, and Florida.
According to the White House, four in five healthcare plans accessed via the Affordable Care Act cost $10 (£7.70) a month or less.
Image: A virtual ‘Chips for America’ meeting with President Joe Biden in 2022. Pic: Reuters
US-made semiconductors
The CHIPS Act 2022 dedicated $52m (£40m) to increasing US production of semiconductors, which are found in all devices and computer systems.
It has paid for new factories and improved production lines.
Amid growing tensions between China and Taiwan, where the majority of semiconductors are made globally, the act is aimed at ensuring self-sufficiency and national security in case Asian supplies are compromised.
Unemployment down
More jobs were created in the first three years of the Biden presidency than during the same period of any other – some 14.8 million.
Unemployment has remained below 4% throughout his term, which the White House says is the lowest level in 50 years.
More recently, rising prices have taken away from the president’s success in the labour market.
Inflation reduction
The Inflation Reduction Act 2022 was born out of spiralling post-COVID and Ukraine war inflation and consisted of $485bn in spending – and $790bn in offsets.
Notably, it helped lower the price of expensive drugs and invested in clean energy tax credits.
But Mr Biden was criticised for falsely claiming inflation fell from 9% when he took office to around 3.5% this year.
Official figures show inflation was 1.4% in January 2021, having fallen to 0.4% at the height of COVID in May 2020.
Better infrastructure and internet access
The Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill represented a $1.2tn (£0.9tn) investment in US infrastructure, from bridges, the rail network, and water pipes.
According to the White House, more than 16 million households now also have low-cost or free high-speed internet thanks to the administration’s Affordable Connectivity Program.
Image: Speaking at the White House during the pandemic in 2021. Pic: Reuters
COVID support
Mr Biden presided over the American Rescue Plan, which spent $1.9tn (£1.5tn) on supporting US families and businesses during the pandemic.
Many argue such high public spending later caused inflation to spiral.
Gun restrictions
The administration describes its progress on gun reform as the “most significant gun violence prevention legislation in almost 30 years”.
Despite age-old opposition from gun lobbyists, the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act was passed and has introduced enhanced background checks for 18 to 21 year olds and more money for so-called ‘red flag’ laws, which place emergency restrictions on licences for high-risk individuals.
There has also been a crackdown on the ‘boyfriend loophole’ – making it harder for convicted domestic abusers to obtain firearms.
Image: Shiloh Jordan (right) receives a pardon for a marijuana misdemeanor conviction from Maryland governor Wes Moore in June. Pic: Reuters
Marijuana pardons
Mr Biden signed an executive order that pardoned thousands of people convicted of marijuana possession under federal law.
Despite pledging to do so, the administration has failed to downgrade its status as a Schedule I drug, leaving it on a par with heroin and higher than fentanyl.
The president is not responsible for the wave of states, including New York and Delaware, that have legalised marijuana since he has been in office, as this is the jurisdiction of state governors.
Image: Protesters mark two years since the overturning of Roe v Wade. Pic: AP
Abortion mitigations
After the Supreme Court overturned Roe v Wade in 2022, access to abortion was almost instantly rescinded in 14 states.
Although power remains at state level, Mr Biden has helped improve access to abortion medication by post and ensured veterans can receive abortion counselling.
He also issued a rule to protect the privacy of women who travel across state lines to get abortions – and the providers that facilitate them – to stop them being prosecuted.
While Kamala Harris is likely to campaign hard on reproductive rights, Mr Biden has faced criticism for not being strong enough on the issue in light of his Catholic background.
Image: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the White House in 2022. Pic: Reuters
Defence of Ukraine and Israel
The US has given more than $70bn (£54bn) in aid to Ukraine since Russia invaded in February 2022.
This is nearly three times the amount of its next-biggest backer, Germany on $14bn (£12bn).
Many Republicans have argued current levels of support are unsustainable, with major concerns for European security if Mr Trump is re-elected and reduces support.
Questions have also been raised about the US’s close relationship with Israel amid its war with Hamas and civilian casualties.
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Image: President Joe Biden greets Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson. Pic: Reuters
First black woman on Supreme Court
Donald Trump’s three appointments to the Supreme Court saw its political leanings tilt heavily to the right.
Following the retirement of Bill Clinton-nominated Gerald Breyer in 2022, Mr Biden emphatically chose Ketanji Brown Jackson to be his replacement justice – the first black woman to be given the lifelong role.
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More immigration problems
The Biden-Harris administration has been heavily criticised for failing to curb illegal immigration levels.
Numbers arriving at the US’s southern border were higher in 2023 than they ever have been, with the asylum backlog meaning more than 2.4 million migrants have entered the country since Mr Biden took office.
Migrants are also coming from farther afield than Mexico and Central America for the first time, with significant numbers from Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, China, and India.
Image: US Marines at Kabul airport ahead of the withdrawal of US troops in 2021. Pic: Reuters
Deadly Afghanistan withdrawal
Joe Biden’s decision to withdraw the final US troops from Afghanistan in September 2021 resulted in the death of 13 American soldiers and more than 100 Afghans.
The chaotic nature of the withdrawal led to harrowing scenes at Kabul airport as people desperately tried to escape before the Taliban resumed control.
Since then, freedoms in Afghanistan have been heavily restricted and many who helped Western forces have been killed or are still fearing for their lives.
Source : Sky News
