President Joe Biden plans to give his State of the Union speech on March 1, 2022. I always tune in. I think of it as a sort of pep rally for America. I listen to the rebuttal, too, which is usually a doom and gloom speech about how tragic things are for all of us.

For the next few weeks, I’m reviewing and comparing what the Democratic Party hoped to do for the nation in their Party Platform with what’s accomplished so far.  I’m doing this because there’s more going on than we hear and read about. 

You might recognize my tables from 2020, when I compared the Party Platforms of each party. Just so I can keep everything straight, I put the information into a simple chart, like I would for corporate goals.  This is also the way CoCo’s Individual Education Plans got laid out, too.  Pretty easy to understand; I think:  

We will______________ by_____________ so that______________ happens.  

Think of this as an annual review for President Biden.

So here’s the Democrats’ Plan for the economy:

We will	By	So that	Page
Improve job quality and security	Passing the PRO Act and restoring workers’ rights, including the right to launch secondary boycotts	We raise the minimum wage to $15 an hour	Federal workers’ wages increased to $15/hr in April 2021. Only California currently has a $15/hr minimum wage; ten more states have plans in place to gradually increase to $15/hr. (The current Federal minimum wage is $7.25. Twenty states have the same as the Federal.)
Improve job quality and security	Repealing so-called “right to work” laws	We protect those who have been left without wage and hours for decades—including domestic workers and farmworkers—have the same rights as other workers.	No action that I could find.
Improve job quality and security	Increasing funding and staffing at the Department of Labor to aggressively enforce wage, hour, health, and safety rules	Employees who are being misclassified, including gig and platform workers, deserve wage and workplace protections including minimum wage and overtime pay	The 2021 and 2022 appropriation bills include funds for this.
Support unions	Banning captive audience meetings, penalizing companies that bargain in bad faith, protecting all private-sector workers’ right to strike	Employers are held accountable if they interfere in workers’ efforts to organize	No action that I could find.
Aggressively enforce wage, hour, health, and safety rules across the economy	Increasing funding and staffing at the Department of labor	Taxpayer dollars stop flowing to employers who steal workers’ wages, violate labor laws, or engage in union-busting	The 2021 and 2022 appropriation bills include funds for this.
Strengthen labor rights for public-sector employees	Passing the Public Sector Freedom to Negotiate Act	We have a guarantee for public-sector employees to bargain for better pay, benefits, and work conditions	No action that I found using GovTrack.us or https://www.brookings.edu/interactives/tracking-regulatory-changes-in-the-biden-era/ or Congress.gov
Fight for at least 12 weeks of paid family and medical leave for all workers and family units	Implementing a high-quality paid family leave system	New parents can recover from childbirth and bond with their newborns or adopted children and allow all workers to take extended time off to care for themselves or an ailing relative	This is part of the Build Back Better Act that is stalled in the Senate.
Boost funds for grants to states to help low-income and middle-class families afford child care	Increasing the Child and Dependent Care Tax Credit; Provide access to affordable, high-quality child care on a sliding scale	Parents don’t have to choose between keeping their kids safe and earning a paycheck	This is part of the Build Back Better Act that is stalled in the Senate.
Improve compensation and benefits for child care providers and enact universal high quality pre-K programs for three- and four-year-olds.	Increasing the Child and Dependent Care Tax Credit; Provide access to affordable, high-quality child care on a sliding scale	Parents don’t have to choose between keeping their kids safe and earning a paycheck	This is part of the Build Back Better Act that is stalled in the Senate.
Invest in the engines of Job creation	Investing in resilient, sustainable, and inclusive infrastructure	USA has the world’s best infrastructure system.	The 2021 and 2022 appropriation bills include funds for this.
Invest in the engines of Job creation	Investing in clean energy, clean transportation, energy efficiency, and advanced manufacturing	USA has the world’s best infrastructure system.	The 2021 and 2022 appropriation bills include funds for this.
Repair, modernize, and expand our highways, roads, bridges, and airports	Installing 500,000 public charging stations; using safe modern, design approaches	Drivers, pedestrians, cyclists, and others can safely share the road.	Provisions are included in the Infrastructure and Jobs Act, enacted Nov. 2021 and American Rescue Plan Act enacted in May 2021
Launch our country’s second great railroad revolution	Investing in high-speed rail	We have public transportation that is affordable to all and accessible to people with disabilities	Provisions are included in the Infrastructure and Jobs Act, enacted Nov. 2021 and American Rescue Plan Act enacted in May 2021
Upgrade our nation’s ports, lock and dam systems, and freight infrastructure	??	We create jobs	Provisions are included in the Infrastructure and Jobs Act, enacted Nov. 2021 and American Rescue Plan Act enacted in May 2021
Increase demand for American-made ships	Ensuring U.S. cargo is carried on ships flying our flag	We create jobs	Provisions are included in the Infrastructure and Jobs Act, enacted Nov. 2021 and American Rescue Plan Act enacted in May 2021
Ensure everyone has access to clean, reliable drinking water and safe wastewater systems	Replacing lead pipes, increasing investment in innovative water technologies	We create jobs	Provisions are included in the Infrastructure and Jobs Act, enacted Nov. 2021 and American Rescue Plan Act enacted in May 2021
Close the digital 25  divide that deprives more than 20 million Americans of high-speed internet access	Investing in broadband and 5G technology, including rural and municipal broadband, and restoring the FCC’s authority to take action against internet service providers who violate net neutrality principles.	We create jobs	Provisions are included in the Infrastructure and Jobs Act, enacted Nov. 2021 and American Rescue Plan Act enacted in May 2021
Ensure labor protection	Ensuring Davis-Bacon wage standards, project labor agreements, and domestic sourcing requirements	We create good, union jobs that expand the middle class	Provisions are included in the Infrastructure and Jobs Act, enacted Nov. 2021
End  policies that incentivize offshoring;	Accelerate onshoring of critical supply chains, including in medical supplies and pharmaceuticals.	We support robust Buy America and Buy Clean standards for federally supported projects	Provisions are included in the Infrastructure and Jobs Act, enacted Nov. 2021 and American Rescue Plan Act enacted in May 2021
Support domestic manufacturing and grow rural manufacturing jobs;	Expanding effective tax credits; invest in innovation hubs and government programs and	Small manufacturers have access to technical and business expertise so they can grow their revenues	Provisions are included in the Infrastructure and Jobs Act, enacted Nov. 2021 and American Rescue Plan Act enacted in May 2021 The 2021 and 2022 appropriation bills include funds for this.
Build a diverse pipeline of talent	Investing in career and technical education and high-quality job training programs including pre-apprenticeship opportunities and registered apprenticeship; invsting in adult literacy and other skills development programs.	All workers can access the good jobs that will be created	Provisions are included in the Infrastructure and Jobs Act, enacted Nov. 2021 and American Rescue Plan Act enacted in May 2021 The 2021 and 2022 appropriation bills include funds for this.
Support small businesses	Boosting funding for state small business grant and lending initiatives; increasing access to credit for small businesses in low-income and rural areas, including for unbanked or underbanked businesses; improving and expanding Small Business Administration (SBA) programs	Women- and minority-owned businesses have increased opportunities	Provisions are included in the Infrastructure and Jobs Act, enacted Nov. 2021 and American Rescue Plan Act enacted in May 2021 The 2021 and 2022 appropriation bills include funds for this.
Invest in the heartland and rural communities	Expanding U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) ownership and operating loan programs	It’s easier for new and beginning farmers, ranchers, and foresters, including returning veterans, to start and grow their operations	Provisions are in the Build Back Better Act which is stalled in the Senate.
Invest in the heartland and rural communities	Taking steps to limit foreign ownership of U.S. farmland and reforming agricultural subsidies to better support small- and mid-sized farms.	We protect family farms and promote food security	Provisions are included in the Infrastructure and Jobs Act, enacted Nov. 2021 and American Rescue Plan Act enacted in May 2021 The 2021 and 2022 appropriation bills include funds for this.
Expand domestic markets for family farmers and ranchers	Developing and growing regional food systems to deliver fresh, American-grown produce to schools, hospitals, Department of Defense installations, and other major public institutions	Small, mid-size, and traditional farmers can stay competitive.	Provisions are included in the Infrastructure and Jobs Act, enacted Nov. 2021 and American Rescue Plan Act enacted in May 2021 Provisions are in the Build Back Better Act which is stalled in the Senate.
Spark a revolution in agriculture and open up new revenue streams for farmers in energy and waste products, and grow bio-based manufacturing jobs.	Strengthening the Renewable Fuel Standard, supporting E15 blends, and supporting research, development, and deployment of advanced biofuels; expand popular, voluntary programs for sustainable and regenerative agricultural practices	U.S. agriculture sector is the first in the world to achieve net-zero emissions	Provisions are included in the Infrastructure and Jobs Act, enacted Nov. 2021 and American Rescue Plan Act enacted in May 2021 Provisions are in the Build Back Better Act which is stalled in the Senate.
Enforce labor and environmental protections for farmworkers,	Protecting workers from exposure to pesticides and extreme heat; strengthening enforcement of the Sherman and Clayton Antitrust Acts and the Packers and Stockyards Act.	Small and mid-sized farmers are empowered	Provisions are included in the Infrastructure and Jobs Act, enacted Nov. 2021 and American Rescue Plan Act enacted in May 2021 Provisions are in the Build Back Better Act which is stalled in the Senate.
Put workers first	Negotiating strong and enforceable standards for labor, human rights, and the environment in the core text of our trade deals	We build a fair system of international trade for our workers	Twenty-five bills or resolutions have been approved that address labor, human rights, and the environment in our trade deals.
Take aggressive action against China or any other country that tries to undercut American manufacturing	Working with our allies to stand up to China and negotiate from the strongest possible position.	We build a fair system of international trade for our workers	Three bills or resolutions have been approved that address standing up to China.
Take steps to increases the supply of housing	Equalizing access to affordable credit and improving access to down payment assistance to help families of color, low-income families, and rural buyers purchase homes; creating a new tax credit of up to $15,000 to help first-time homebuyers, and making the tax credit refundable and advanceable	Homeownership is in reach for every American	Provisions for this are in the Build Back Better Act, stalled in the Senate. Some provisions are included in the Infrastructure and Jobs Act enacted in Nov. 2021 and American Resuce Plan Act enacted in May 2021.
Expand the number of affordable, accessible housing units on the market.	Expanding the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit; build more affordable, accessible housing and retrofit existing housing in rural areas	Homeownership is in reach for every American	Provisions for this are in the Build Back Better Act, stalled in the Senate. Some provisions are included in the Infrastructure and Jobs Act enacted in Nov. 2021 and American Resuce Plan Act enacted in May 2021.
Increase investments in public housing	Providing Section 8 housing support for every eligible family, and will enact protections to keep landlords from discriminating against voucher recipients.	We end homelessness	Provisions for this are in the Build Back Better Act, stalled in the Senate. Some provisions are included in the Infrastructure and Jobs Act enacted in Nov. 2021 and American Rescue Plan Act enacted in May 2021.
End using public policy to close neighborhoods off to Black families and other people of color	Enforcing the Fair Housing Act, the Home Mortgage Disclosure Act, the Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing rule, and the disparate impact standard	Homeownership is in reach for every American	By executive order, the Fair Housing Act the 2013 rule is reinstated, reversing an executive order by Trump which was never implemented.
Make sure the wealthy pay their fair share in taxes	Reversing the Trump Administration’s tax; cracking down on overseas tax havens and closing loopholes that are exploited by the wealthiest.	We level the economic playing field	No new laws or executive orders are implemented that I found.
Curb Wall Streets Abuses	Strengthening and enforce Dodd-Frank financial reform law; update Glass-Steagall; back criminal penalties for reckless executives	We protect American workers from the impacts of future financial crises	No new laws or executive orders are implemented that I found.
Expand access to credit	Creating a public credit reporting agency	We ensure equitable access to credit and banking products for all Americans	No new laws or executive orders are implemented that I found.
Support the 10-20-30 funding approach, to direct at least 10 percent of federal funding to communities where 20 percent or more of the population has been living below the poverty line for 30 years or longer	Directing more federal investment to the communities most in need	We create jobs, improve and expand housing; modernize and expand transportation, clean water, wastewater, energy, and broadband infrastructure, and promote shared prosperity.	No new laws or executive orders are implemented that I found.
Make sure no child goes to bed hungry.	Increasing funds for food assistance programs; removing barriers that keep the formerly incarcerated from accessing food assistance	We end poverty	Provisions for this are in the Build Back Better Act, stalled in the Senate. Some provisions are included in the Infrastructure and Jobs Act enacted in Nov. 2021 and American Rescue Plan Act enacted in May 2021. Several executive orders to increase SNAP benefits and other ways to address hunger.
Protect individuals’ privacy and data rights while continuing to support and enable innovation in the technology sector.	Updating the Electronic Communications Privacy Act	We afford the same protections to digital content as physical content.	Provisions for this are in the Build Back Better Act, stalled in the Senate. Some provisions are included in the Infrastructure and Jobs Act enacted in Nov. 2021 and American Rescue Plan Act enacted in May 2021.
Tackle runaway corporate concentation	Reviewing mergers an acquisitions to assess whether any have increased market concentration, raised consumer prices, harmed workers, increased racial inequality, reduced competition, or constricted innovation	Encourage competition and inovation	I found no laws of executive order specific to this subject.
Protect Social Security	Enacting policies to make Social Security more progressive; eliminating penalties that unfairly reduce public sector workers’ earned Social Security benefits; supporting reforms which better accounts for the challenges facing unpaid caregivers	All workers have the ability to save at work for emergencies and for retirement.	Several Acts include specific protections for Veterans, First Responders, Families, and Evacuees. Some provisions are included in the Infrastructure and Jobs Act enacted in Nov. 2021 and American Rescue Plan Act enacted in May 2021.
Protect Social Security	Rejecting efforts to cut, privatize, or weaken Social Security	All workers have the ability to save at work for emergencies and for retirement.	I found no laws of executive order specific to this subject.
Make it easier to save for retirement beyond core Social Security programs	Supporting approaches to retirement saving that enable workers and retirees to prepare for and prosper in retirement	Working people can build their nest eggs faster	I found no laws of executive order specific to this subject.
Make it easier to save for retirement beyond core Social Security programs	Reversing the Trump Administration’s regulations allowing financial advisors to prioritize their self-interest 24  over their clients’ financial wellbeing	Working people can build their nest eggs faster	President Biden has 44 out of 219 executive orders signed by President Trump.

Wow! A lot more is happening than what I’m hearing in the news and reading in the paper.

What do you think?  Was this enlightening? Or just sort of boring?

Next up: Health Care.

Now that should be interesting. Are you with me?