President-elect Joe Biden said Wednesday that his priorities for the first 100 days of his administration will be “a pathway to citizenship” for 11 million illegal immigrants and overturning a number of President Donald Trump’s executive orders which pertain specifically to climate change concerns.
“I will send an immigration bill to the United States Senate with a pathway to citizenship for over 11 million undocumented people in America,” Biden told NBC Nightly News.
“I will also be moving to do away with some of the, I think, very damaging executive orders that have significantly impacted on making the climate worse and making us less healthy, from methane to a whole range of things the president has done [that have] eviscerated the EPA, the Environmental Protection Agency.” (RELATED: ‘Pro-Labor, Pro-Worker Administration’: Labor Leaders Expect Union Resurgence Under A Biden Presidency)
During the second presidential debate, Biden emphasized his commitment to to green energy and said that he would “transition away from the oil industry.” Biden noted Wednesday that his progress will “depend on the kind of cooperation I can or cannot get from the United States Congress.”
The president-elect also promised to deliver “immediate assistance to state and local governments to keep them from basically going under” as a result of economic pressures due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Biden said he expects there will be “multiple things that are going to have to be taking place at the same time” but that he is committed to assisting “those folks who are always, when crisis hits, they’re the first one hit and when recovery comes, they’re the last one in: that’s basically minority communities.”
Recalling a story from his childhood when his father lost the family’s health insurance, Biden said he doesn’t want Americans to face a similar predicament today. “Think of all the people, all the people, who are laying awake at night staring at the ceiling thinking, ‘God forbid, what happens?”’ (RELATED: Report: Joe Biden Has Picked Tony Blinken For Secretary Of State)
President-elect Joe Biden speaks as he addresses the media after a virtual meeting with the National Governors Association’s executive committee at the Queen Theater on Nov. 19, 2020 in Wilmington, Delaware. (Joe Raedle/Getty Images)
“We have to act. We have to act. To guarantee them they have access to affordable health insurance. This is more than just a financial crisis; it’s a crisis that is causing real mental stress for millions of people.”
Biden has promised to expand the Affordable Care Act — or Obamacare — rather than proceed with the Medicare for All plan endorsed by some Democratic lawmakers.
Biden said very little about gun control during the presidential campaign but critics say his proposal to no longer exempt gun manufactures from liability caused by their products could cripple the firearms industry.