7 January 2021

Professor John Owens for S&P Global about Joe Biden’s expected executive orders

Professor John Owens, Professor of United States Government and Politics in the Centre for the Study of Democracy, was quoted in an article by S&P Global about Joe Biden’s expected executive orders when he starts his presidential term.

Close up image of John Owens

In the article, he said: “The low-hanging fruit for a Biden presidency would include temporary protected status for all immigrants arriving from COVID-infected countries, shutting down oil and gas leasing on federal lands, refining poverty levels and so forth.”

He added: “Rejoining the Paris climate agreements, appointing a majority to the National Labor Relations Board, forgiving student loans, closing Guantanamo, reworking farm and food policy, lowering the cost of drugs and licensing generic drug manufacturing, providing a public option for financial services, and others.” 

Professor Owens also spoke about the potential of Biden using the COVID-19 crisis to expand healthcare coverage, and said: “The Department of Health and Human Services, part of the executive branch, could immediately – with some creative application of existing laws – give all 16.5 million Americans infected with COVID the option of free Medicare coverage without any new legislation. In doing so, Biden would effectively create a single-payer health system in the US.”

Read the full article on S&P Global’s website.

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