White House Chief of Staff Jeff Zients has set a high-priority agenda for the remaining 42 days of the Biden administration, rallying his team for a final push to achieve key policy goals. Zients emphasized the importance of canceling more student debt and confirming as many judicial nominees as possible.
In a memo to White House staff on Dec. 9, Zients urged his team to capitalize on the limited time left in President Joe Biden’s term, which ends on Jan. 20, 2025. He emphasized the need to sprint to the finish line and accomplish as much as possible for the American people.
Zients outlined four key priorities for the administration’s final stretch: advancing Biden’s Investing in America agenda, collaborating with Congress on crucial legislation and judicial confirmations, making progress on foreign policy initiatives, and canceling more student debt for public service workers and other borrowers.
During the final 42 days of the Biden administration, Zients revealed plans to continue accelerating funding distributions for projects like high-speed internet expansion and clean energy initiatives. He mentioned that almost all of the available funding from legislation enacted under Biden, including the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and the Inflation Reduction Act, has already been allocated.
With time running out, Biden is prioritizing judicial confirmations, aiming to confirm as many nominees as possible before the end of his term. The White House is also working with Congress to secure disaster relief funding and prevent a potential government shutdown.
Additionally, Biden is focused on lowering costs for families by implementing more student debt cancellation and announcing the full implementation of a $2,000 cap on Medicare Part D prescription drug costs in January.
The administration is intensifying efforts on the foreign policy front, including brokering a Gaza cease-fire and providing support to Ukraine in its conflict with Russia. Zients mentioned that there are more announcements to come on various topics such as climate, conservation, and artificial intelligence.
Zients concluded the memo by thanking the staff for their dedication and urging them to make the most of the final 42-day sprint. He encouraged everyone to finish strong in achieving the administration’s key policy goals.
