BIDEN ADDRESSES CONGRESS.
WHAT WILL HE SAY? President Biden will address a joint session of Congress on Wednesday evening, during which he is expected to outline a $1.8 trillion proposal titled the “American Families Plan.” This is the second part of his infrastructure package that will focus on childcare, education, family leave and healthcare. Over the last week, reports have indicated that the package may not include the sweeping healthcare provisions that had been suggested, such as prescription drug pricing reforms and lowering the Medicare eligibility age. As a result, Democrats have sent letters to President Biden urging him to include Medicare expansion and prescription drug reform in the proposal. What the President says on Wednesday has the potential to shape Democratic messaging on healthcare going forward. However, expect some within the party to continue to push for broader reforms.
BIDEN’S FIRST 100 DAYS. Thursday will mark President’s Biden first 100 days in office. The first 100 days of a presidency are usually considered a marker for a President’s success and an indicator of how the President’s full term will be. For President Biden, COVID-19 has rightfully dominated his presidency thus far. The President achieved his COVID-19 vaccination goals and signed a COVID-19 relief package, the American Rescue Plan, into law. However, the President is lagging in filling positions within his Administration. We are also awaiting details of President Biden’s healthcare package, which we may see on Wednesday. The first 100 days is by no means significant in terms of statute or regulation, but we expect political commentary on President Biden’s successes and failures over the next week. It also increases the pressure on the Administration to achieve during the next 100 days.
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