White House Chief of Staff Defines Biden’s Key Priorities for the Last 42 Days in Office
Jeff Zients announced that his team is gearing up for a final effort to fulfill the Biden administration’s major policy objectives.
White House Chief of Staff Jeff Zients has detailed a priority agenda for the remaining 42 days of the Biden administration, motivating his team to make a final effort to meet significant policy goals, which include the cancellation of additional student debt and the confirmation of as many judicial nominees as possible.
In a memo sent to White House staff on December 9, Zients encouraged his team to take advantage of the limited time left in President Joe Biden’s administration, which concludes on January 20, 2025, when President-elect Donald Trump assumes office.
“We have 42 days left to sprint to the finish line and accomplish as much as we can for the American people,” Zients stated in the memo obtained by The Epoch Times.
During the final 42 days of the Biden administration, Zients mentioned plans to continue speeding up the distribution of funds for initiatives like high-speed internet expansion and clean energy projects. He pointed out that nearly 98 percent of the funding made available through legislation passed under Biden—including the $1.2 trillion Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and approximately $800 billion under the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA)—has already been allocated.
“The President has instructed us to maintain this momentum and obligate as much funding as possible before the term ends, so anticipate further actions regarding high-speed internet allocations to states, CHIPS incentive funding, IRA funding, and more,” Zients noted.
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With time running short, Biden is also emphasizing the importance of judicial confirmations, as noted by Zients, who pointed out the administration’s successful appointments of a diverse array of candidates, including record numbers of women of color and labor attorneys confirmed as federal judges.
“At his direction, we are pushing the Senate to confirm as many nominees as possible within the available time,” Zients stated.
Along with judicial nominations, the White House is collaborating with Congress to secure disaster relief funding and to prevent a possible government shutdown, which is becoming a significant concern amid the partisan tensions on Capitol Hill.
Zients also mentioned that Biden will “continue to work on lowering costs for families” in the final phase of his presidency, which includes implementing more student debt cancellations for public service workers and other borrowers. Additionally, there are plans to announce in January the full enforcement of a $2,000 cap on Medicare Part D prescription drug costs.
The Biden administration is also ramping up its foreign policy initiatives, according to Zients, who emphasized a focus on negotiating a Gaza cease-fire with hostage releases through diplomatic channels involving Turkey, Egypt, Qatar, and Israel. Furthermore, the administration is enhancing Ukraine’s defense capabilities in its ongoing conflict with Russia by providing additional artillery, air defense systems, and other crucial military assistance as part of a previously disclosed aid increase.
“And there is much more we are addressing—we have future announcements on a range of topics from climate to conservation to AI, and more,” Zients shared in the memo.
“Thank you for maximizing this crucial 42-day sprint,” he concluded. “Let’s finish strong.”
