Op-Ed: America Just Had its Best Week in a Long Time

     When Donald Trump got COVID, he had to be airlifted to the Walter Reed Medical Center and returned looking like he had been through a tornado. When Joe Biden got COVID twice, he started off the week by announcing that an airstrike had killed Ayman al-Zawahiri. The former Egyptian surgeon was involved in violent jihad since the 1970s and had been a trusted deputy to Osama bin Laden since the very formation of al-Qaeda in the 1980s. He was involved in the bombings of the U.S. embassies in Tanzania and Kenya and the U.S.S. Cole in Yemen as well as the terrorist attacks on September 11th. He had served as leader of al-Qaeda since bin Laden was killed in 2011. His death in Kabul, completed without a single civilian casualty or injury even among al-Zawahiri's family, proved that the United States can still defend itself from the Taliban's harboring terrorists.

     That wasn't the only good news to come out of the Middle East this week: the UN-negotiated, US-supported truce in Yemen was extended once again, bringing the total span of peace set to be achieved in the world's worst humanitarian crisis to six months, a monumental achievement that will save tens of thousands of lives. In European matters, the Senate approved by a vote of 95-1 the accession of Sweden and Finland to NATO, possibly the best addition to the alliance and done in record time. Meanwhile, in Asia, Speaker Pelosi conducted a historic visit to Taiwan that forced China on the defensive and sent a message that the United States will always stand on the side of democracy.

     Speaking of democracy, Capitol insurrectionist Guy Reffitt, the tip of the spear that sought to pierce America's democracy, a man who served as a recruiter for the Three Percenters extremist group and threatened to murder his own son with the very gun he brought to the Capitol on January 6th for turning him in, the first Capitol terrorist to be convicted at trial, was sentenced to 87 months in prison, by far the longest sentence handed out to date. Meanwhile, conspiracy theorist Alex Jones was ordered to pay the parents of a Sandy Hook victim nearly $50 million for defaming them by calling them "crisis actors" and Sandy Hook a "false flag operation." To strengthen American democracy, the Senate confirmed Elizabeth Hanes as the 75th Biden-appointed judge since he took office before confirming Roopali Desai to be a historically-diverse appeals court judge. 

     In the civil rights arena, the Justice Department charged four officers in the murder of Breonna Taylor, the last case (along with the murders of George Floyd and Ahmaud Arbery) that served as the rallying cry for racial justice in 2020 and a move that will provide accountability while assisting in healing the nation. Reproductive rights had a week that was just as big: voters in conservative Kansas overwhelmingly rejected a ballot initiative that would have paved the way for an abortion ban in the state. That same day, as the White House Reproductive Rights Task Force had its first meeting, President Biden signed an executive order protecting the right to travel for abortions. Vice President Harris kept busy during the week, meeting with legislative leaders in Massachusetts and Latina legislators to continue strategizing to protect reproductive rights. As Indiana took the devastating step of instituting an abortion ban, the White House held its first Convening of Lawyers in Defense of Reproductive Rights and Justice.

     Also in the realm of health, President Biden assembled a team to respond to the monkeypox epidemic. At the same time, thanks to President Biden's agenda, the rate of Americans without health insurance fell to just eight percent, the lowest rate in history. The economy had a historic week, as well. The July Jobs Report, the best since February, revealed that America added 528,000 jobs and the unemployment rate fell to 3.5 percent. There are now more people working in the United States than before the pandemic and than at any time in history; the unemployment rate is tied for a 50-year-low. The White House also held an eviction summit that revealed that the United States actually saw a slight DECREASE in the number of evictions over the past year in spite of the expiration of the moratorium sparking fears of a surge. The eviction rate is at its lowest point in years as President Biden continues to work to build long-term eviction reform. Operation Fly Formula continued in earnest, as well: the 18th and 19th flights brought a combined total of 4.6 million bottles of infant formula to the United States. To top it all off, the price of gas fell more than 15 cents nationally.

     It's not just about fixing our economy, but building back better. The Senate passed the Honoring Our PACT Act, a $400 billion bill that will provide healthcare to 3.5 million veterans exposed to burn pits, Agent Orange, and other toxic exposures while serving in what constitutes the most consequential bill for veterans since the GI Bill. Meanwhile, President Biden met with Governor Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan to celebrate last week's passage of the Chips and Science Act, a $280 billion bill that will bring back American manufacturing, strengthen supply chains, lower costs, and much more, building on the historic 650,000 manufacturing jobs that President Biden has already created. The best news of all was that the Senate passed the historic Inflation Reduction Act to allow Medicare to negotiate prescription drug prices, cut carbon emissions by 40 percent by 2030, cut the deficit by $300 billion, raise taxes on corporations without doing so on anyone making under $400,000, crack down on tax cheats, and much more.

     These are just the biggest developments. Congress confirmed 14 ambassadors, bringing the total past 100 since President Biden took office. President Biden took action to bolster climate resilience and promote energy efficiency. President Biden marked the 10th anniversary of the Sikh Temple Shooting in Wisconsin by announcing new actions to protect places of worship. President Biden signed five bills into law to crack down on COVID benefit fraud, advance racial justice, provide more rights to homicide victims, and more. I could go on. This all happened while President Biden was sick with COVID, and, just today, he announced that he is all clear to return to the Oval Office this week.

     For those who wonder if their vote matters, if elections have consequences, if both parties really are the same, if government can still deliver for the American people, my question is this: of this is not enough, what will be? What more could make the distinction clearer? In spite of a 50-50 Senate split and the narrowest House majority in modern history, President Biden, Leader Schumer, and Speaker Pelosi are delivering legislative results at the fastest pace since the Johnson administration. America just had its best week in a long time.