Biden's Big Government Approach to the Pandemic

Strategic Insights -

As the coronavirus pandemic continues to surge across the United States, presidential candidate Joe Biden has staked his campaign on a more muscular federal role in fighting the crisis. Drawing inspiration from President Franklin D. Roosevelt's New Deal, Biden has proposed big government solutions to address the pandemic, including ramping up testing, ensuring a steady supply of protective equipment, and distributing a vaccine. However, some of his proposals may be difficult to implement due to the country's partisan politics and lack of trust in government institutions.

Key Takeaways:

  • Biden plans to appoint a national "supply chain commander" to coordinate the logistics of manufacturing and distributing protective gear and test kits, invoking the Defense Production Act more aggressively than President Trump has.
  • He aims to mobilize at least 100,000 Americans for a "public health jobs corps" of contact tracers to help track and curb outbreaks.
  • Biden wants to create a "Pandemic Testing Board" to swell the supply of coronavirus tests, a play on Roosevelt's War Production Board.
  • His team has explored whether he has the power to require Americans to wear masks outside their homes, or if he would have to leave it to governors.
  • Biden's approach to the pandemic would depend heavily on getting buy-in from governors and citizens, who are deeply divided.
  • Dr. Ingrid Katz, an infectious disease specialist, has briefed Biden on school safety during the pandemic, saying "the seeds of discontent have been sown."
  • Biden's Public Health Advisory Committee includes experts such as Dr. Ezekiel Emanuel, Dr. Rebecca Katz, and Dr. Nicole Lurie, who will help guide his pandemic response.

Statistics:

  • As many as 400,000 Americans may have died from Covid-19 by Inauguration Day, according to recent projections.
  • Biden aims to start his presidency with the capacity to perform 100 million tests per month, up from about 30 million currently.
  • The Obama administration did not replenish the Strategic National Stockpile after the H1N1 pandemic, leaving it unprepared for Covid-19.
  • President Trump has promoted the goal of achieving "herd immunity" by allowing the virus to spread among young healthy people while protecting the old and vulnerable.

Sources:

  • "Biden's Plan for a Pandemic" by Evan Osnos, The New Yorker
  • "Biden's Big-Government Approach to the Pandemic" by Jared Malsin, The Wall Street Journal
  • "The Pandemic Policy Briefing: Biden's Plan for a Covid-19 Response" by the Biden Campaign
  • "A Potential Pandemic President's Challenge" by Ashley Parker and Laura Meckler, The Washington Post