Biden Agenda Includes More Electric Cars, Work Visas

The promises Joe Biden made as a candidate fall roughly into two categories: those easy to carry out in his first days in the Oval Office, and those that will be exceedingly difficult no matter how long he tries. Because many of President Donald Trump’s initiatives were accomplished by executive order, Biden can undo them with the stroke of a pen. But his bolder ideas face uphill battles in the U.S. Senate, where his fellow Democrats will hold the narrowest majority possible. Here’s a partial tally of his goals.

Biden would reshape how America powers itself in the name of fighting global warming, an epic conversion requiring a $2 trillion down payment over his four-year term. It would surely be a heavy lift to get through Congress, even if he argues that it’s a good way to stimulate the economy. Biden’s climate agenda drives his approach to energy issues. He has vowed to ban new oil and gas permits on public land and water. Many planned oil, gas and mining ventures -- even those on private land -- face heightened risk of rejection or longer approval times.