• In 2022, the U.S. and its allies successfully pressured Russia to prevent an invasion of Ukraine and defended the country with money, armaments, and humanitarian aid.
• At home, the Biden administration and Congress passed major legislation that included the American Rescue Plan, the bipartisan infrastructure law, the PACT Act, the CHIPs and Science Act, the Inflation Reduction Act, the Respect for Marriage Act, the Violence Against Women Act, and the most significant gun safety legislation in nearly 30 years.
• The Supreme Court handed down the Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health decision, overturning the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision that recognized reproductive healthcare as a constitutional right.
• The January 6th committee’s public hearings exposed the deliberate plan to overthrow our democracy, and in the midterm elections, Republicans only gained control of the House by four seats and the Democrats actually picked up one seat in the Senate.
• Despite the growth of authoritarianism, global post-lockdown inflation, and gerrymandering, the U.S. ended the year with a sense of progress and hope.
Published December 30, 2022. Visit Letters from An American to read Heather Cox Richardson’s original post.
