Biden’s team lays out four-pillar strategy for lame duck six months

President Joe Biden has tasked his team with coming up with an agenda for his final six months in office, defining key priorities for the administration as he looks to secure a one-term legacy – including a robust schedule on the world stage.

President Joe Biden has tasked his team with coming up with an agenda for his final six months in office, defining key priorities for the administration as he looks to secure a one-term legacy – including a robust schedule on the world stage. On a call with political appointees across agencies Wednesday afternoon, White House chief of staff Jeff Zients laid out four main pillars for Biden’s team to execute in a lame duck period: the continued implementation of key legislation; lowering costs and growing the economy through additional moves on student debt relief and efforts to bring down prescription drug prices; defending personal freedoms and civil rights by calling out hate and extremism; and ensuring US strength, security and leadership in the world, according to audio of the call obtained by CNN. On the fourth point, national security adviser Jake Sullivan suggested Biden would keep a busy schedule in international matters: “You can expect to see very busy months of activity, of summits and trips to ensure that we do everything we can to leave it on the field,” Sullivan said, adding that there would be “high-level summits both here and abroad.” But before that, Sullivan said Biden’s most urgent priority “is to avoid escalation into a larger war in the Middle East and to deliver the ceasefire and hostage deal that he’s worked so hard to deliver.” Those comments come as the US is working through diplomatic channels – including Biden calls with the Egyptian president and the emir of Qatar this week – amid heightened tensions in the Middle East. Hezbollah has vowed retaliation for Israel’s assassination of a top commander. Sullivan also defined Biden’s hopes and expectations for the war in Ukraine as the clock ticks on his time in office with no immediate resolution in view: “President Biden is determined to put Ukraine in a position to prevail and ensure that Russia fails in its effort to conquer Ukraine. And he wants them in the best possible position on the battlefield so they’re in the best possible position at the negotiating table. And you can expect a flurry of work, along with our partners, with President Zelensky to achieve that result before he passes the baton.”