Joe Biden called for ending the "uncivil war" between Republicans and Democrats as he was sworn in as the 46th President of the United States.
Biden: End 'Red Against Blue' War
In his inaugural address Wednesday, Biden said: "We must end this uncivil war that pits red against blue, rural versus urban, conservative versus liberal."
The 21-minute address started with Biden emphasizing the importance of democracy. He said his inauguration proved "democracy has prevailed."
The U.S. has been struggling with drawing a line between equality and "racism, nativism, fear, demonization," and he said "unity is the path forward" in ending the struggle.
Biden's inaugural speech repeatedly mentioned a need for unity in a largely divided country following the Jan. 6 riot at the Capitol.
Aside from encouraging Americans to unite in hard times, Biden promised to swiftly address the pandemic that has taken more than 400,000 lives. He also promised to get the economy back on its feet.
Biden's First Foreign Call: Canada's Trudeau On Keystone Pipeline
The White House announced the new president's first call to a foreign leader would be with Canada Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. The call will be made Friday.
Press secretary Jen Psaki said during a news briefing that Biden and Trudeau were expected to discuss Biden's order of halting construction of the Keystone XL Pipeline.
The 1,200-mile Keystone Pipeline is a project that accommodated Canadian oil to the U.S. While former President Barack Obama rejected the proposed project five years ago his successor Donald Trump approved it.
Around 300 miles of the pipeline has been constructed, after the project was revived in 2020. Thousands of construction jobs are expected to be affected by the Keystone stoppage.
It is worth noting that when Biden won the November election, Trudeau was also the first foreign leader that he called.
Swift Action, 17 Executive Orders On Day One
In what is considered the most urgent actions from modern-day presidents, Biden signed 17 executive orders after he was sworn in.
According to Biden's aides, the 17 executive orders involved four major categories: climate change and the environment, diversity and immigration, economy and COVID-19.
Some of Biden's Day One moves targeted several of Trump's policies. The Biden administration's national security adviser, Jake Sullivan, said the president will move to "immediately reverse" Trump policies that were "deeply inhumane and did not reflect our country's values."
Paris Agreement
As part of Biden's Day One ventures, Biden signed an executive order that will see the U.S. rejoin the Paris Agreement, a historic agreement that commits to climate change resolution.
Biden's latest move is in line with his campaign promise of pushing the country toward clean energy and environmental empathy. French President Emmanuel Macron has since welcomed back the U.S. to the agreement.
The U.S. formally opted out of the agreement under Trump Nov. 4, 2020, following the presidential election.
Border Wall Undone
Hours after his inauguration, Biden quickly moved to halt the construction of Trump's U.S.-Mexico wall.
The said border is the most expensive federal infrastructure project yet in the country's history and has raised concerns from equality and diversity advocates around the world.
With Biden's hand on the stop button, Trump's border funds will be redirected upon further legal investigation. The national emergency declaration that Trump used to direct funds to his wall has been rescinded by Biden's executive order.
World Health Organization Comeback
A crucial part of Biden's Day One in power includes his cancellation of the U.S. withdrawal from the World Health Organization.
Trump announced that the U.S. would exit the World Health Organization in May, and since then, his comments on the pandemic seemed to rebut that of White House top expert on infectious diseases, Dr. Anthony Fauci.
Fauci has been appointed by Biden to lead the country's delegation to the World Health Organization.
In relation to health and COVID-19, Biden also issued three executive orders that require the use of face masks nationwide. The orders also include proper social distancing mandates.
What's Next?
Expectations are extremely high for the 46th U.S. president as he is faced with multiple challenges, including a falling economy and a global health crisis.
On the other hand, it is expected that Biden's plans for the country could result in faster growth, as opposed to Trump's unilateral proposals.
Since Biden released his $1.9 trillion stimulus proposal, the stock market was boosted and investors were mostly positive about his rise to power. The S&P 500 gained 13% since he won the presidential election.
Analysts believe most of the results of the Biden administration will be based on how fast the Democrat will act on the pandemic and how he will make good on his promises during the campaign.
