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10 PalletCentral • March-April 2021 palletcentral.com T he flight path of President Biden has become apparent as he moves forward to his first 100 days as President, which will be April 30, 2021. e President is moving quickly, and on 'Day One,' President Biden asked the Department of Education to extend a pause on repayment of federal loans and interest. e United States rejoined the Paris Agreement, which is a legally binding international treaty on climate change. Participants of the Accord are committed to keeping global warming below two degrees Celsius above pre- industrial levels, and if possible, below 1.5 degrees Celsius. On day two, President Biden signed an Executive Order focused on mitigating COVID. e response includes a subsequent updated 'first step' to OSHA guidelines on worker safety issued on February 21, 2021. e order directs OSHA to consider a temporary emergency standard related to COVID-19. NWPCA held an OSHA webinar, "OSHA and the Biden Administration: What to Expect in 2021" and "When Safety and H.R. Collide: e COVID-19 Vaccine" (access our archives at palletcentral.com/webinar). From January 25 to February 1, 2021, President Biden signed orders to strengthen "Buy America" provisions. He directed the Federal government's largest purchaser, the General Services Administration (GSA), to implement preferential purchasing of U.S. products. USDA BioPreferred ® is a Federal law, "e Federal Acquisition Regulation," and Presidential Executive Order that directs federal agencies and their contractors to purchase bio-based products in categories defined by USDA. Wooden pallets are in the BioPreferred directory. To use the BioPreferred logo, wood pallet manufacturers must license PDS to be eligible (palletcentral.com/biopreferred). e President will not have carte blanche to make permanent changes in regulations and laws. e Democratic majority is slim in the Senate in the 117th Congress (2021-2023 session). e majority party is the Democrats with 48 seats, the minority party of Republicans holds 50 seats, and two independent members caucus with the Democrats. Vice President Kamala Harris votes in case of a tie in the Senate. Centrist factions will hold out-sized influence over legislation; conservative Democrats and liberal Republicans. You have heard and will continue to hear a lot more about U.S. Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV ). He is the most sought-after swing vote in the 50-50 Senate and the vast majority, if not every interest group in Washington, D.C., is seeking his support on legislation. A key vote on the minimum wage rests with the Senator. While he does not support a $15 minimum wage, he is open to discussing an $11 minimum wage. He was the first Senate Democrat to come out against the wage hike that was part of President Biden's $1.9 trillion relief plan. To pass a minimum wage increase, Democrats need all 50 of its Senate rank to vote in favor. Manchin also became the first Democrat to say he would vote against Neera Tanden, Biden's nominee to lead the White House Office of Management and Budget, putting her nomination in jeopardy. Tanden is accused President Biden's First 100 Days The Priorities of Congressional Democrats and President Biden By Patrick Atagi iStockphoto.com/Sono Creative POLICY PLAY AT

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