While Congress fought over, and then voted on legislation which would prevent a government shutdown, President Joe Biden was noticeably absent from the conversation.
With 31 days to go until inauguration day, Biden is focusing his efforts in ensuring that all of his goals are met in solidifying his presidential legacy.
Here are four matters that kept Biden occupied this week while Democrats, Republicans and Elon Musk duked out it over the national spending budget.
Biden’s student loan forgiveness plan
On Friday morning — well before Congress finally approved the national budget — Biden announced that he would be cancelling $4.28 billion in student loan, giving loan relief to nearly 55,000 public service workers.
This debt elimination will be given to individuals enrolled in the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program which gives those working in fields like teaching or firefighting relief after 10 years of continuous payment.
The forgiveness will be delivered to individuals enrolled in the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program (PSLF), which allows for debt forgiveness for people in jobs like firefighting, nursing and teaching after 10 years of continuous payment.
“The public servants approved for debt cancellation today include teachers, nurses, service members, law enforcement officials, and other public service workers who have dedicated their lives to giving back to their communities and who are finally earning the relief they are entitled to under the law,” Biden said in a statement.
To date, the Biden administration has eliminated approximately $180 billion for nearly five million Americans.
Biden heavily campaigned on the promise of delivering debt relief to Americans, but his efforts have been countered with countless lawsuits from more than a dozen Republican attorney generals.
Biden gives federal employees Christmas Eve off
On Thursday, Biden announced that all federal employees — over two million people — will have Christmas Eve off.
This is the first time in Biden’s term that he’s granted the executive order for federal employees to have Christmas Eve off. Granted, this is the first time in his four years of presidency that Christmas Eve fell on a week day.
However, then President Donald Trump bucked the tradition of federal employees getting just half days by giving them full days off on Christmas Eve in 2018, 2019 and 2020.
Biden chatted with the Pope on the phone
Biden talked with Pope Francis on the phone on Thursday where they discussed “advance peace around the world during the holiday season,” said a White House readout of the call.
“The President thanked the Pope for his continued advocacy to alleviate global suffering, including his work to advance human rights and protect religious freedoms,” the statement continued.
Biden will be visiting the Vatican from January 9 to 12, and he will be meeting with Pope Francis on the 10.
The last time the two men met was this June during the G7 Summit in southern Italy.
Biden announced ambitious climate change goal
On Thursday, Biden announced the initiative to reduce the nations greenhouse emissions by between 61% to 66% by 2035.
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In 2021, Biden re-entered the Paris Agreement after President Donald Trump pulled the U.S. out of the international climate accord and set the current target of 50% to 52% greenhouse gas emissions by 2030, compared to 2005 levels
“That’s leading to more good-paying jobs, more affordable energy, cleaner air, cleaner water, healthier environments for everyone,” Biden added. “It is also creating real momentum because we’re unleashing American ingenuity and innovation. American industry will keep inventing and keep investing. State, local, and Tribal governments will keep stepping up.”
