Two parts to today’s update: a recap of the Biden Administration’s first ten days in office, and an update on COVID-19 and vaccination efforts here in North Carolina.
Biden’s First Ten Days: A Divisive Commitment to Left-Wing Policies and Jobs Lost with the Stroke of a Pen
I was at the Inauguration on the steps of the Capitol on January 20th as President Biden took the oath of office. The message he offered was hopeful, and his theme was unity. Unfortunately, the steps his administration has taken since then have been a bow to the very radical left.
Since day one, the Biden Administration has launched a series of attacks on working Americans and has put the country back on the path to the same failed policies of the Obama years.
Here is just a sample of what’s taken place so far:
· He cancelled the Keystone XL Pipeline , immediately killing thousands of good-paying, middle class manufacturing jobs.
· He’s halted new fracking and drilling on all federal lands , a death blow to communities in western states where the federal government is by far the largest landowner — drying up revenues and killing hundreds of thousands of jobs.
· He rejoined the Paris Climate Agreement , which gives the world’s biggest polluters, including Communist China, a free pass while strangling our own domestic energy sector — again killing hundreds of thousands jobs on top of the other job cuts his other Executive Orders are wiping out.
· He halted construction of the border wall , which also kills jobs, putting his liberal base ahead of the safety of the American people. Thankfully, his order to halt all deportations for 100 days, including the deportation of some criminals, was stopped by a federal judge in Texas.
· He rejoined the World Health Organization, which served as a mouthpiece for Communist China as it sought to cover up the extent of the COVID-19 outbreak last year. Now, American dollars will flow freely back into this corrupt agency without any reforms or any accountability.
· He offered to extend the New START treaty, a giveaway to Vladimir Putin that allows Putin to modernize his nuclear arsenal unchecked.
· Meanwhile, Congressional Democrats are laying the groundwork to pass a massive, multi-trillion dollar COVID-19 bill using what’s known as budget reconciliation , a procedural move that allows them to pass legislation with a simple majority in the Senate, meaning they will not need any Republican support. Whether they can do this will come down to a ruling of the Senate parliamentarian. In order to put forward a reconciliation bill, they must first pass a budget resolution. They plan to bring that to the House floor for consideration next week.
So far, President Biden is making it clear that the only promises he’s interested in upholding are the ones he made to radical progressives in exchange for their support in the primary.
North Carolina COVID-19 & Vaccination Update
Thanks to the Trump Administration and Operation Warp Speed, safe, effective COVID-19 vaccines are being administered to North Carolina patients months and even years before many experts ever thought possible. And deployment of the vaccine has improved significantly the past week. The state is now up to 99% percent or better of available vaccine administered. Here’s an update on where the virus and vaccination efforts stand here in North Carolina:
· 2,883 individuals in North Carolina are currently hospitalized due to COVID-19, and 6,168 new cases were reported statewide on Friday. This represents an 8.4% daily positive rate. Tragically, 9,287 individuals have died from the virus in North Carolina to date.
· So far, about 900,000 doses of vaccine have been administered to patients. About 786,000 of the doses administered have been the first doses of the vaccine, and about another 98,000 have been second doses.
· In total, almost 1.7 million vaccine doses have been allocated to North Carolina by the federal government so far, and about 1.4 million of those have arrived in-state.
· Presently, North Carolina is providing vaccinations to Groups 1 (health care workers, long-term care staff & residents) and 2 (anyone 65+). Note that these populations are far larger than the supply of vaccine available at the moment, so an individual who is eligible for the vaccine may not be able to immediately get an appointment to receive one. Persistence pays off though so keep trying.
· Governor Cooper announced on Wednesday that he would be extending North Carolina’s modified stay-at-home order, which requires people to be home between the hours of 10 p.m. and 5 a.m. Orders requiring the use of face coverings, restricting indoor and outdoor gatherings, and permitting the sale of “to-go” mixed beverages will be extended as well.
