The Wilson Center community of scholars react to the announcement by incoming Chief of Staff Ronald Klain regarding the President-elect's plans for his first hours and days in office.
"President-elect Biden's campaign advisers and the incoming team have long viewed a potential surge of Central American migrants in the early days of the administration as a distinct possibility. Not only because of migrants' perceptions of a 'kinder, gentler' United States with respect to immigration policy but also because human traffickers could cynically manipulate people's aspirations. The challenge for Biden will be to make good on campaign promises quickly to undo the ugliest aspects of Trump's policies--the separation of migrant children and parents, for example--without spurring a border crisis resulting from a flood of migrants hopeful that U.S. policy has changed."
"Foreign observers could interpret the incoming Biden Administration’s focus on domestic priorities as a sign that the United States is continuing to turn away from the world. That would be a mistake. Now more than in any time in recent memory, foreign policy begins at home. America’s partners should not be surprised, and should in fact welcome, Joe Biden’s initial focus on domestic challenges, because the United States is unlikely to be the type of consistent, outward-looking partner that other countries need and want if it does not beat COVID-19, generate inclusive and sustainable growth, create millions of jobs, and reposition itself at home to take on the climate crisis and work to heal its deep political, social, racial and class divisions. America can’t help others if it can’t help itself.
That doesn’t mean foreign policy takes a back seat. The need for domestic self-renewal is self-evident. Yet in a world where it takes seconds to transfer wealth or transmit disease, minutes to flash news or spread disinformation, and only hours to cross vast oceans, we Americans cannot take care of our own on our own. The old adage is still true: domestic policy is important, but foreign policy can kill you. It can also give you a job or take it away, raise or lower the cost of your home mortgage, and influence how you interact with those new to your community.
The United States cannot tackle the virus, create economic opportunity, address the climate emergency, or take on challenges to democracy by itself. Domestic renewal requires active engagement abroad. The affairs of the world have been too deeply woven into the fabric of our domestic life for us simply to ignore the rest of the globe while we concentrate on domestic priorities. Our problems at home are serious, and our challenges abroad are daunting. But neither is insurmountable. Even before assuming office, Joe Biden and his team have signaled that they understand progress on one front is necessary to advance our values and our interests in the other. America’s partners should wish them well."
"This is a domestically focused agenda, but ultimately a home-first policy will benefit the Biden administration's foreign policy. America will have more credibility abroad as a global leader, and especially as a champion of rights and democracy if it is seen to be making efforts to strengthen freedoms and governance at home.
This isn't to say a domestically focused first 10 days should be completely cut off from the world. Biden would be wise to make calls to key US allies and partners abroad, and especially in Europe and Asia where long-time American friends are anxious to connect with the new leadership.
While the Biden administration is wise to accord its initial policy space to domestic issues, it can't afford to put off its priorities overseas for that long. Such are the realities of a superpower: Even when it's struggling at home, it can't ignore its obligations abroad. This is especially true in Afghanistan, home to the longest-ever US foreign war, where 2500 American troops remain and a nascent peace process with the Taliban hangs in the balance, amid an intensifying insurgency and an alarming campaign of killings against Afghan civil society. "
"President Biden's Day One Agenda puts America back on track for fixing COVID recovery, rescuing the US economy, rebuilding American democracy at home and restoring American leadership abroad. Never has a President assumed office with greater challenges but never has a President assembled such a stellar team to combat the nation's 4 most vexing challenges: COVID, climate, the economy and racial equity.
America's allies can be reassured that, despite the gravity of the challenges we face, the Biden/Harris team is already demonstrating leadership in the proposed actions for the first 10 days in office. Rejoining the Paris Climate Agreement will happen on Day One and will pave the way for much more leadership on climate and clean energy to tackle the climate crisis. With John Kerry as the President's Climate Envoy, Tony Blinken as Secretary of State, Jake Sullivan as National Security Advisor, Lloyd Austin as Secretary of Defense, and Samantha Powers at USAID, our allies and partners can be assured that 'America is back!'"
"In order to unite the country and restore stability, it is imperative for the Biden administration to focus on economic regeneration. The $1.9 trillion covid package will be at the heart of that effort. Enhancing trade relations and signing on to new trade deals will not, however, be part of that equation. Trade will remain a political divisive issue, even within the Democratic Party itself, as the net economic gain of agreements remaining a contested issue.
Even though the geostrategic importance of enhancing trade relations is clear especially in Asia and supported by the new administration’s foreign policy team, Biden is unlikely to push for the United States to join the CPTPP multilateral trade agreement, even as it makes returning the United States back into the Paris climate deal a priority. The fact that Trade Promotion Authority will expire in July will make it particularly challenging for the White House to push for new deals.
U.S. allies, in turn, will look for the new president to restore stability in the country as quickly as possible, and ensure that the U.S. economy remains on solid footing. At the same time, they will be eager for actual U.S actions that demonstrate the new government’s commitment to the rule of law and transparency that go beyond simply rhetoric.
The Indo-Pacific Program promotes policy debate and intellectual discussions on US interests in the Asia-Pacific as well as political, economic, security, and social issues relating to the world’s most populous and economically dynamic region. Read more
The Wilson Center’s prestigious Latin America Program provides non-partisan expertise to a broad community of decision makers in the United States and Latin America on critical policy issues facing the Hemisphere. The Program provides insightful and actionable research for policymakers, private sector leaders, journalists, and public intellectuals in the United States and Latin America. To bridge the gap between scholarship and policy action, it fosters new inquiry, sponsors high-level public and private meetings among multiple stakeholders, and explores policy options to improve outcomes for citizens throughout the Americas. Drawing on the Wilson Center’s strength as the nation’s key non-partisan policy forum, the Program serves as a trusted source of analysis and a vital point of contact between the worlds of scholarship and action. Read more
Since its inception in 2017, the Polar Institute has become a premier forum for discussion and policy analysis of Arctic and Antarctic issues, and is known in Washington, DC and elsewhere as the Arctic Public Square. The Institute holistically studies the central policy issues facing these regions—with an emphasis on Arctic governance, climate change, economic development, scientific research, security, and Indigenous communities—and communicates trusted analysis to policymakers and other stakeholders. Read more
The Environmental Change and Security Program (ECSP) explores the connections between environmental change, health, and population dynamics and their links to conflict, human insecurity, and foreign policy. Read more
The Wilson Center’s office of Congressional Relations works to maintain a vibrant relationship with Members of Congress and their staffs. We organize and run a series of educational programs led by Wilson Center experts, ranging from seminars to private briefings, with the purpose of increasing congressional staffers’ knowledge of foreign policy. We also coordinate outreach to Capitol Hill, including testimonies by Wilson Center scholars and briefings specifically for Members of Congress. Read more
The Global Risk and Resilience Program (GRRP) seeks to support the development of inclusive, resilient networks in local communities facing global change. By providing a platform for sharing lessons, mapping knowledge, and linking people and ideas, GRRP and its affiliated programs empower policymakers, practitioners, and community members to participate in the global dialogue on sustainability and resilience. Empowered communities are better able to develop flexible, diverse, and equitable networks of resilience that can improve their health, preserve their natural resources, and build peace between people in a changing world. Read more
The Kissinger Institute works to ensure that China policy serves American long-term interests and is founded in understanding of historical and cultural factors in bilateral relations and in accurate assessment of the aspirations of China’s government and people. Read more
