President Biden began making good on his campaign promises from his first day in office. I was happy to most of the 30 executive orders he signed, as they will promote positive change and stimulate the economy. However, there were a few orders I found quite concerning.

First, let’s go over what he did right.

With more and more families struggling because of the coronavirus pandemic, it has never been more clear that the nation needs a $15 an hour minimum wage. 

President Biden signed an executive order requiring federal workers and contractors to be paid this fair wage, a move that sets the stage for a national $15 an hour minimum wage. 

Second, President Biden signed a variety of executive orders aimed at curbing the COVID-19 outbreak. He instituted a federal mask mandate for airports and federal property, something that the country needed long ago. 

In addition, he pledged to have 100 million doses of the vaccine distributed by the end of his first 100 days – a good start but not nearly enough. 

I question, however, his executive orders on rejoining the Paris Climate Agreement and the World Health Organization (WHO). 

The Paris Climate Agreement is riddled with flaws. However, it has an extremely admirable and undeniably necessary goal to limit global warming by reducing greenhouse gas emissions that the United States should strive to achieve.

The main problem is countries like China, which have almost double the amount of greenhouse gas emissions as the United States. China needs to be held accountable for its actions and emissions, or beachfront property will turn into suburbs of the Lost City of Atlantis. 

In addition, if Biden is not careful, energy prices could skyrocket, disproportionately affecting the poor. This could mean Mississippians will have to pay more to turn the lights on. 

As for rejoining of the WHO, this should be conducted warily. It is undeniable that this organization acted too slowly to control the spread of COVID-19 due to both their own incompetence and China’s unwillingness to cooperate.

If we are going to invest billions of dollars into an organization designed to stop worldwide pandemics, we should expect that health experts will be impartial in their actions. If that is not possible, I can name several bridges in Mississippi that could be rebuilt using that money. 

At this point, it’s about human survival. If President Biden can take these factors into account and be stern with China, namely keeping them accountable for their greenhouse gas emissions and ensuring their transparency concerning the global pandemic, I think he could have a more successful presidency. Nevertheless, I believe most of the executive orders he’s signed will have positive impacts for the world, United States and Mississippi – if he plays his cards right.