(Washington Watch) America 2022: Three major problems to be solved in the "first half" of Biden's ruling

　　China News Agency, Washington, December 20th, title: United States 2022: Three major problems to be solved in the "first half" of Biden's administration

　　China News Agency reporter Chen Mengtong

　　Looking back on the second year of U.S. President Joe Biden’s administration, two key words cannot be avoided: inflation and the conflict between Russia and Ukraine.

These two factors are intertwined in 2022, constantly influencing Biden to advance his domestic and foreign policy agenda.

　　The "split" structure of the U.S. Congress after the midterm elections has set the keynote of "shifting from offense to defense" for the "second half" of Biden's term of office.

Not only that, but he also had to continue to face the "old problems" accumulated in the past two years.

　　Anti-inflation: the first priority is not completed

　　Under the influence of multiple factors such as large-scale economic stimulus and rising energy prices, inflation in the United States will enter a rapid upward trajectory in early 2022.

Biden made a special speech for this, putting the fight against inflation at the top of his domestic agenda.

　　The issue of US prices has not only become the most concerned issue for voters in this year's midterm elections, but also a "barometer" of Biden's support rate.

The US poll analysis website "FiveThirtyEight" combined five national poll data to show that Biden's approval rate for the whole of 2022 will not exceed 43%. to 37.9%.

　　In order to hedge against soaring oil prices, Biden announced in March this year the largest release of strategic oil reserves in US history: a release of 1 million barrels per day (180 million barrels in total) within six months.

He visited Saudi Arabia in July, hoping that the Gulf oil-producing countries would increase production to lower international oil prices.

However, "OPEC+" decided to cut production in October, which "disappointed" Biden, forcing the United States to seek additional measures to increase domestic crude oil production.

　　By the end of the year, US inflation remained high at 7.1%, despite a drop in oil prices.

"U.S. prices are still too high. We have a lot of work to do, but things are moving in the right direction," Biden said of inflation in December.

　　Sign the bill: the implementation of the three major legislation is difficult

　　In terms of legislative effectiveness, compared with the intensive first year of his term, the legislative process of the Biden administration in 2022 has slowed down.

The Atlantic magazine concluded that although the Democratic Party has made breakthroughs on the legislative agenda such as gun control, the major legislative achievements that Biden has achieved in the past two years in office can be attributed to three items: the $1.9 trillion new crown epidemic relief bill, about 1 A trillion-dollar infrastructure bill, and an inflation-cutting bill signed this summer.

　　As the Democratic Party loses control of the House of Representatives after the mid-term elections, Biden will face dual challenges from the Republican Party and the internal divisions of the Democratic Party on how to implement the above-mentioned legislative achievements.

The Associated Press believes that Biden's ruling focus in the next two years will shift to maintaining these legislative achievements and "maintaining effective governance in a more tense environment."

　　"A divided Congress usually means the end of the president's legislative agenda." National Public Radio said that the Biden administration will face "less legislation and more investigations."

In the House of Representatives, the Republican Party may launch an investigation into the Biden administration on issues such as the withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan.

　　Ukraine: Security assistance continues to struggle

　　In terms of diplomacy, Biden will achieve a number of "firsts" during his tenure in 2022, including his first visit to the Middle East, the first face-to-face meeting between the heads of state of the United States and China, and the first reception of a foreign leader-French President Macron as a "state visit".

His two trips to Europe and NATO this year underscored the importance of the situation in Ukraine in U.S. foreign affairs.

　　According to Pentagon data, since August 2021, the Biden administration has provided military assistance to Ukraine 27 times.

Since the Russia-Uzbekistan conflict in February this year, the US has pledged more than $19.3 billion in military aid to Ukraine.

　　Although the United States has always upheld its stance of firmly supporting Ukraine, it still faces uncertainties in both "internal" and "external" aspects of the Ukrainian issue.

Internally, the new Congress has not yet taken office, and the Republican Party has indicated that it will re-evaluate the Ukraine aid issue; externally, the United States and Europe have not reached a consensus on the position of the Russia-Ukraine negotiations, which also adds to the future development of the Russia-Ukraine situation. variable.

　　In evaluating the foreign policy of the Biden administration over the past two years, the New York Times said, "Both the Trump administration and the Biden administration have to face a question: How should the United States maintain its seemingly declining global dominance. But in some key The lack of a substantive breakthrough in the Biden administration shows how difficult it is for Washington to chart a new course in foreign policy."

　　With the remaining "old problems" in 2022, the Biden administration will usher in more "constraints" in 2023.

At the press conference after the midterm elections, Biden made it clear that he would not change the policy direction in the next two years.

He expressed the hope that the two parties in the United States can continue to cooperate on the Ukraine issue.

At the same time, he will not support any "Republican proposal" that will worsen inflation.

(use up)