The administration also looks to protect the right to vote in upcoming elections, reform harmful and unfair police practices, and continue to fill empty positions in the federal government.

Article by Garrett Whitton, Junior White House Correspondent

WASHINGTON - Most families welcome the new year banging pots and pans, gifting a smooch, or watching the crystal ball drop as the clock strikes midnight on Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve. Though the First Family may have done so, Biden and his staff also rang in the new year with pride stemming from their accomplishments but continue to worry about what may happen as November’s midterm elections approach.

The White House has praised the successes made by the President and his administration over the past year. They initiated the rollout of trillions of dollars used to fund healthcare and stimulus bills, implemented policies that have helped drop the unemployment rate, passed a bipartisan infrastructure deal, and made COVID-19 vaccines free and available to anyone older than four. These feats are commendable, but now they have to face what is coming in the new year. And, it appears many problems the administration faces are the same as those Biden confronted as he took office last January. For example, one continues to be the seemingly endless pandemic.

In the inevitable criticism the President has received, much refers to his promise to beat the coronavirus. However, Americans still find themselves amid another surge caused by the Omicron variant. As seen over the past two years, the virus has had a significant adverse effect on the domestic and world economy. To help the struggles, Biden frequently urges the American public to keep getting vaccinated and boosted. By doing so, the pandemic will improve, and people will begin to feel better about the economy. In addition, the administration hopes increasing vaccination rates will grant them more leverage to pursue the President’s proposed agendas, one of which is the Build Back Better Agenda (BBB).

The BBB bill has been the topic of most congressional conversations since it was introduced to the House of Representatives in late September 2021. It ultimately passed in the House but has had trouble getting through the Senate because of Joe Manchin, the stubborn Democratic senator from West Virginia. Manchin’s vote is the deciding factor in the perfectly divided Senate. He has been vocal about his decision to vote “nay,” saying that he must appropriately represent his constituents and how it will also add to the debt, among other things. A possible option that democrats could attempt is to pass certain parts of the bill that Manchin supports. In 2022, President Biden hopes to persuade Manchin to vote for the bill.

Along with these two objectives, the administration also looks to protect the right to vote in upcoming elections, reform harmful and unfair police practices, and continue to fill empty positions in the federal government. If posts are not filled soon, all these goals may be harder to reach without the support of others and their willingness to campaign. President Biden has a lot on his plate for the new year, and, for his party’s sake, he hopes to meet these goals as the country nears a potentially altering election season.