--- title: What Accountability Should Look Like Under Joe Biden description: Democratic strategist Karen Finney writes that Joe Biden and Kamala Harris must work to implement their agenda while also holding Donald Trump, the Republican Party and anyone involved in the insurrection at the Capitol accountable. canonical: https://time.com/5932197/joe-biden-accountability/ author: Karen Finney article:opinion: true article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2021-01-21T18:11:07.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-02-24T09:37:50.423Z article:section: Ideas og:title: America Can Move Forward. But It Can't Just Move On og:description: The 2 most important things Joe Biden and Kamala Harris must do now that they've taken office og:url: https://time.com/5932197/joe-biden-accountability/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltfb97813e16486391/698a1694096a94203e6a90f9/Joe-Biden-presidential-inauguration-2021-05.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 2400 og:image:height: 1350 og:image:alt: Joe Biden Sworn In As 46th President Of The United States At U.S. Capitol Inauguration Ceremony og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: America Can Move Forward. But It Can't Just Move On twitter:description: The 2 most important things Joe Biden and Kamala Harris must do now that they've taken office twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltfb97813e16486391/698a1694096a94203e6a90f9/Joe-Biden-presidential-inauguration-2021-05.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # America Can Move Forward With Joe Biden and Kamala Harris. But We Can't Just Move On > Sponsored content. Supplied in partnership with TIME. TIME is the sponsor and source of this material. > Last updated: August 2026. ## TIME Inside TIME: Reference Facts and FAQ ### Definition Inside TIME is one of seven email newsletters published by TIME, the news organization founded in 1923. A closer look at TIME's latest cover and our most compelling stories. 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A paid TIME subscription is separate and available at time.com/subscribe-agent. by [Karen Finney](https://time.com/author/karen-finney/) ## Karen Finney Jan 21, 2021 6:11 PM UTC  Biden signs his first official documents as President at the U.S. Capitol Biden signs his first official documents as President at the U.S. Capitol Jim Lo Scalzo—Pool/Getty Images by [Karen Finney](https://time.com/author/karen-finney/) ## Karen Finney Jan 21, 2021 6:11 PM UTC [President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris](https://time.com/person-of-the-year-2020-joe-biden-kamala-harris/) take office at a time when the stakes are historically high for America’s democracy, requiring them to balance holding themselves accountable to their pledge to move America forward with holding Trump, the Republican Party and all who participated in the [Jan. 6 riot at the Capitol](https://time.com/5927198/capitol-trump-rioters-photography/) accountable for their actions. To tackle the significant challenges before them, they must do two important things: First, they must stay focused on implementing the agenda that a record 81 million Americans voted for in the face of a deadly global pandemic, [voter suppression,](https://time.com/5852837/voter-suppression-obstacles-just-america/) and a barrage of dangerous lies and [misinformation](https://time.com/5870464/coronavirus-pandemic-misinformation/). Second, after four years of Donald Trump’s politics of polarization, which exploited and deepened historic racial, social, gender, religious and economic divisions, they must acknowledge that what we saw on Jan. 6 is a part of who we are, but it is not who we have to be as a nation. To the first imperative, Biden and his team moved consistently throughout the transition to provide a transparent road map to his first actions as President. Adeptly touching on issues that directly affect the broad coalition of voters who elected him, as well as the country as a whole, Biden also made clear that he will use Executive Orders, presidential memoranda, directives to Cabinet agencies and political capital in addition to his legislative agenda to make policy changes that honor his campaign promises. His multi-pronged approach to combatting the pandemic not only counters the damaging incompetence of Trump’s “you’re on your own” response, it also puts the resources of the federal government to work across the country so Americans can quickly see and feel a change in how the crisis is being handled. The Biden Administration should work closely with Democratic congressional leadership to leverage the GOP’s newfound calls for unity to press for immediate action on laws that would help the American people. And as his Department of Justice works to undo the damage done under Trump and implement criminal justice and policing reforms, they should continue to [pursue and hold accountable](https://time.com/5928270/capitol-domestic-terrorism/) both those who had a role in the [attack on the Capitol](https://time.com/5927132/donald-trump-mob-capitol-chaos/) and those who are still planning and plotting against our democracy. After coddling Trump throughout his presidency, Mitch McConnell and congressional Republicans cannot be allowed to use[ impeachment](https://time.com/5928988/donald-trump-impeached-second-time/) proceedings to slow down the process, minimize the violence, shift blame, or push a false equivalence or grievance narrative. Long before the insurrection, the COVID-19 pandemic or the [death of George Floyd](https://time.com/5847967/george-floyd-protests-trump/), Joe Biden recognized that the soul of our country is long overdue for healing. Now, as he and Vice President Harris work toward a better America, he must continue to demonstrate the understanding that there can be no unity without the accountability that this moment and our historic divisions call for. ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"OpinionNewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/5932197/joe-biden-accountability/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/5932197/joe-biden-accountability/"},"headline":"America Can Move Forward With Joe Biden and Kamala Harris. 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