Yahoo Finance's Chief Political Correspondent Jessica Smith takes a look back at what the first 6 months of Joe Biden's presidency has looked like and what goals lie ahead.

Video Transcript

JOE BIDEN: I, Joseph Robinette Biden, Jr., do solemnly swear.

JESSICA SMITH: When President Biden took office in January, his first priority was getting COVID-19 under control. He pushed his roughly $2 trillion American Rescue Plan through Congress with only Democratic votes, putting more money toward the fight against COVID, while sending additional relief to parents, unemployed workers, state and local governments, schools, and small businesses.

Six months later, more than 160 million Americans are fully vaccinated. The stock market has reached new all-time highs. And the unemployment rate has dropped to 5.9%, down from 6.3% in January.

JOE BIDEN: Our economy is on the move, and we have COVID-19 on the run.

JESSICA SMITH: But the Delta variant is raising new concerns as the pace of vaccination slows. Prices have gone up for businesses and consumers. And Republicans are blaming Biden, while sounding the alarm about rising inflation.

MITCH MCCONNELL: Families are feeling it everywhere, from the supermarket, to the gas pump, to the housing, to the used car lot and beyond. All thanks in part to the Democrats half-baked spending spree from this springtime.

JESSICA SMITH: Biden is now focused on his long-term economic recovery proposals, the American Jobs and American Families Plans. He managed to strike a deal with Centrist senators on nearly $600 billion in new spending on traditional infrastructure and broadband.

JOE BIDEN: None of us got what we-- all [? that ?] we wanted. Bipartisan deals means compromise.

JESSICA SMITH: But it's still not clear if the agreement can pass both chambers of Congress to give President Biden a bipartisan win. Meanwhile, Democrats are working on the rest of the president's economic agenda that didn't survive bipartisan talks. The White House and Democratic leaders are trying to pass a $3.5 trillion plan that includes ways to fight climate change, paid leave, and an expansion of Medicare, likely paid for by raising taxes on businesses and wealthy Americans.

CHUCK SCHUMER: The people at the top who escape paying all or a lot of taxes, no, no, no, they're going to pay their fair share for the first time in a long time.

JESSICA SMITH: In his first six months, Biden tried to reset alliances around the globe. He organized a climate summit with world leaders and welcomed his foreign counterparts to the White House. He took his first international trip to reconnect with allies in Europe and confront Russian President Vladimir Putin amid a surge in cyber attacks.

JOE BIDEN: Responsible countries need to take action against criminals who conduct ransomware activities on their territory.

JESSICA SMITH: The administration built support among the world's leading economies for a global minimum tax. But it could be a hard sell back home in DC. And with just slim majorities in Congress, Biden continues to face challenges beyond just his economic agenda. Lawmakers will keep debating voting rights, police reform, and immigration in the months ahead. In Washington, I'm Jessica Smith.