Thank you, Joe

Gas prices are dropping. Inflation, while still high, is hovering around 7.1% in this country while most other nations are experiencing double-digit inflation. Democrats avoided a red tsunami in the midterm elections and by doing so quite possibly saved democracy for a few more years.

And President Joe Biden's favorability numbers are rising. It's now 42.9 percent, the same as Ronald Reagan in the second year of his presidency.

With the year coming to a close, I thought I'd look at some of the more important legislative progress we made under the Biden administration despite some irrational blowback from many Republicans who, ironically, also stand to benefit from Biden's accomplishments:

• Passed the $1.2 trillion bipartisan infrastructure package to improve highways, bridges, airports, etc.

• The American Rescue plan that helped put 500 million life-saving Covid vaccinations in the arms of Americans. It also cut child poverty in half and reduced healthcare premiums by $800 a year under the Affordable Care Act.

• Signed the bipartisan Safer Communities Act  to help mitigate gun violence as well as provide funding for youth mental health.

• The Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 which provides for a $369 billion investment in climate change. It also caps prescription drug prices at $2000 per year for seniors on Medicare. Medicare, in fact, can now negotiate prescription drug prices, period. I can live with that one. It also imposed a 15% minimum corporate tax on some the the country's largest corporations, forcing them to pay their fair share.

• Pulled out of Afghanistan to end the longest war in American history.

•  Passed the Covid-19 relief deal that provided $1,400 checks for most Americans. Raise your hand if you returned your check because you don't like Biden. Yeah, that's what I thought.

• Created 6.6 million jobs in one year, more than any other president in history.

• Signed the PACT Act to deal with military service members exposure to burn pits.

• Signed the CHIPS and Science Act that strengthens American innovation and manufacturing.

• Signed the bipartisan Respect for Marriage Act.

There have been other significant accomplishments, like the return of American Brittany Griner from wrongful Russian imprisonment, college debt relief, rejoining the Paris Accords to fight climate change and the authorization of the assassination of Al Qaeda terrorist Ayman al-Zawahiri.

All of these achievements have been remarkable given that Biden is dealing with a 50-50 Congress. And yet, here we are. 

There's still a ton of work to do. The Electoral Count Reform Act is still on the floor and the John Lewis voting rights act to guarantee free and fair elections needs resuscitation. Immigration issues at the border have plagued presidents for decades and needed to be addressed. But with a Republican-controlled House of Representatives coming in in January, expect the Party of Retribution to conduct useless, money-burning investigations intended solely to obstruct Democratic efforts to move the nation forward.

Still, it's been a year of significant accomplishments.