Democratic President Joe Biden has signed more executive orders during his first 100 days of office than any president since President Franklin Roosevelt.
“Biden was quick to use his power of executive order repeatedly within the first month of his presidency, signing almost 30 orders in three weeks,” said Drake University Republican Club Communications Director Reagan Buehler. “I’m grateful for the Constitution’s dedication to balance the powers of the three branches of our government, and the executive orders go against the balance of powers. I know every president arrives in office with a first 100 days promise list, but I wish Biden wouldn’t have taken so much action in the hurried manner he did through executive order.”
Many of Biden’s executive orders undo former Republican President Donald Trump’s policies.
“Biden came into office with three priorities: raising the minimum wage, shutting down the Keystone pipeline, and forgiving student debt,” said the Drake University Republican Club Political Director Ella Stafford. “Trump would argue that raising the minimum wage hurts the economy, shutting down the Keystone pipeline hurts jobs, and student debt forgiveness burdens taxpayers.”
However, some Drake students are pleased with Biden’s choices.
“I think Biden has done a pretty good job so far. It is still very early on in his presidency with a lot of time left for him to make a bigger difference,” said the Drake University Democratic Club Membership Director Ella Skaggs. “One thing that I really like is his cabinet choice. I think choosing the most diverse cabinet will really make a difference when it comes to encouraging people from all backgrounds to run for office or get involved in politics in general.”
Additionally, some Drake students feel it’s not just Biden’s policies, but the symbol of him that is important as well.
“Biden’s win symbolized a positive move back to a country with less division,” said the Drake University Democratic Club President Kody Craddick.
Other students focused on the Vice President Kamala Harris, the first woman to hold this position.
“We have a female vice president who is a woman of color which is huge,” said sophomore Emma Brisbois.
However, even students who voted for Biden are not letting them off easy.
“Even though I voted for him it is still important to hold him accountable,” said first-year Brooke Busch. “We vote for our elected officials because we trust them to put the policies the people want into action, so it is important to hold them accountable.”
Biden promised to fix conflicts with US-Iran relations, but has since ordered airstrikes in Syria towards Iran militants.
“I think that we have to give Biden time to step into his role as president, and overall some good things have been done. However, he promised he wouldn’t do things to further problems in the middle east and yet has already dropped another airstrike on Syria,” Brisbois said. “The Biden administration is continually pulling the same stunts that past presidents have.”
Some feel it is their duty to push the president to fulfill his promises.
“We, as Democrats, need to support President Biden and the Democratic Congress, but we also need to push on them to ensure that the goals promised on the campaign trail are being taken care of or at least part of the national conversation,” Craddick said.
Whether praising or criticizing, some are still hopeful for the future of the United States of America.
“As the president of the United States, I have full respect for him,” Stafford said. “I hope he has a successful term that unifies our nation and helps America prosper.”