When Joe Biden officially become President Biden today, he has a tough task awaiting him. He will take on the job of reuniting a country that has shown darn little interest in being united if it means people have to understand and tolerate those who don’t agree completely with them. This is a job that may not be accomplished in one term or two terms. It may take a generation or two to get past today’s polarization.

But Biden can make a start. We know he is going to reverse many of the administrative orders that Donald Trump issued in his quest to wipe out the legacy of the Obama administration. We know our immigration policies will become more welcoming. Biden is working on a bill that will provide an eight-year path to citizenship for those who have been living in the country illegally, for example. We expect our foreign policy will involve engaging with our fellow nations, rather than ignoring them to foster our own interests first in all things.

But for those who fear that Biden will bring about open borders and turn this country into a socialist mecca, understand that Congress will still present a check on his agenda if socialism is even his agenda. Biden’s burden will be to build coalitions and majorities in the House and especially the Senate, even among his own party members. Democrats in Congress, like Republicans, have a variety of beliefs and priorities. Recent history has shown how difficult it is for a party in control of both houses of Congress to push legislation through. Donald Trump couldn’t get the Affordable Care Act repealed even with Republican control of House and Senate, after all.

Given the 50-50 split in the Senate, Democrats will have to be completely united behind any decision to guarantee its passage. Nothing on Biden’s wish list is assured.

His task, then, will be to bring more people together, get more bipartisan cooperation in Congress. If he can do that, he will have got us started on the long path to reunification.