Well, here we are, approaching Thanksgiving with anticipation and a dollop of fear. It is hard to remember what it was like before the Coronvirus pandemic. Those were the days when we took for granted the trip over the river and through the woods to Grandmother’s house we go. We dreaded being pigeon-holed by old weird Uncle Clarence. But all of that is past. We are changed. We are new.
So we fill up with the gasoline that companies have conspired to send President Joe Biden into one-term inflation obsoletion. Trucking and shipping companies were ill-prepared to handle the explosion of turkeys, groceries, and miscellaneous purchases that roared back as we let out our masked breaths. They should have anticipated it, but they did not. So apparently, that is our president’s fault, too.
Let us remember to be thankful. Our president is working to bring back our middle-and working classes, which is something approaching turning the Queen Mary ship with only half of the tugboats needed. We can be thankful for the multitude of well-paying jobs that will fall out of his brand new Infrastructure Bill and give President Biden a break. He also gave us plenty of other things to be thankful on Thanksgiving — all he accomplished in his first 10 months in office, take your pick of his I-am-thankful-for hints before you get to Aunt Mary’s house:
450 million vaccinations, according to Google Statistics, up from 13.5 million vaccinations when he took office
Ended the 20-year-war with Afghanistan
Expanded access for veterans to therapy dogs and service dogs
Gave us the American Rescue Plan ($2800 for couples, $1400 for singles and each kid), according to The Department of the Treasury
Restored funding to veterans programs, including programs to assist veterans’ mental health (that had been cut by Donald Trump), according to The Public Opinion.
Extended a 15% increase to SNAP funding
Helped children who qualify for free lunch
Restored funding to veterans programs, including programs to assist veterans’ mental health (that had been cut by Donald Trump)
Lowered insurance fees, extended coverage to additional people
Protected tens of thousands of aviation jobs
Gave farmers debt relief
Canceled student loan debt for more than 300,000 Americans with severe disabilities
Canceled millions in student debt for students of for-profit schools
Halted student loan repayment until January 31 2022
Increased the number of affordable homes in America.
Declassified previously secret 9/11 documents
Restarted posting White House visitor logs (after Donald Trump had stopped them
Released his tax returns
Required political appointees to take an ethics pledge
Implemented a program to make American supply chains less reliant on foreign companies
Signed pension relief, kept more than 100 pension plans solvent and provided retirement benefits to millions
Reduced the Donald Trump-supported pay gap between women and men working in the White House
Added more women and minorities to his Cabinet and key advisers than any other president in history
Released rules that protect patients from unexpected medical bills
Ordered an increase in funding to address America’s mental illness and addiction crisis.
Ended the Donald Trump directive that put up roadblocks to families trying to help undocumented immigrant children
Reinstated a program canceled by Donald Trump that allows minors from El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras to reunite with a parent living lawfully in the United States
Directed that children separated and incarcerated at the border be reunited with their parents in the United States or their country of origin.
Returned the United States to the Paris Climate Accord
Revoked the permit for the Keystone XL pipeline
Blocked drilling at Alaska's Arctic National Wildlife Refuge
Stopped issuing new leases for oil and gas exploration on public lands
Rejoined the World Health Organization
Invoked the Defense Production Act to make vaccines and personal protective equipment like masks
Made vaccines cost-free; actively supported programs to eradicate COVID-19
Ordered vaccinations for all executive branch federal employees,
Ordered vaccinations for those working for companies with 100 or more employees
Ordered vaccinations for staff of nursing home
Warned Russian President Vladimir Putin we would no longer accept his aggressive actions;
Sanctioned Russian officials in retaliation for the poisoning of opposition leader Alexei Navalny
Sanctioned Russia for its attempts at election interference and for the SolarWinds hacking attack.’
Warned Russian President Vladimir Putin we would no longer accept his aggressive actions;
Sanctioned Russian officials in retaliation for the poisoning of opposition leader Alexei Navalny
Sanctioned Russia for its attempts at election interference and for the SolarWinds hacking attack.’