President Biden has leaned heavily on the actions of executives during his first ten days in office, far surpassing his predecessors as he works to quickly dismantle the Trump administration’s policies and deliver on key campaign promises.
Biden is unlikely to keep pace with executive orders, and has already been scrutinized from some nooks and crannies for trusting the pen after committing to seeking unity and bipartisanship. However, the initial wave of signings reflects a new reality in which presidents are increasingly resorting to unilateral action in the face of the blockade of Congress.
“He will use the levers that every president in history has used: executive actions,” the White House press secretary said. Jen Psaki
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Experts warned, however, that executive actions can be challenged in court, while others can be easily reversed by a successor from a different party. An excellent example was set this week when Biden rescinded the so-called Mexico City policy, which requires foreign groups receiving family planning aid from the U.S. government to agree not to provide or promote abortions.
The policy was first announced by President Reagan in 1984 and has since been repeatedly reversed by Democratic presidents and reinstated by Republican presidents.
“There is no substitute for legislation,” said Paul Light, a public service professor at New York University. “You can’t build an administration by executive orders. They are facilitators, they really send a strong message, but you have to push the Congress to accompany you ”.
Biden has signed 28 executive orders during his first ten days in office, at a furious pace compared to other presidents in a comparable period of time. Old President Trump
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Overall, Biden has signed dozens of executive actions, which also include presidential memoranda and proclamations. But it is the orders that are considered the most powerful, as they have the force of law and can be litigated in court.
Biden’s team choreographed releases in which he announced executive orders each day for his first week in office, focusing each time on a different political area. The approach allowed Biden to check the promises of the campaign and indicate to the different constituencies that he was fulfilling his problems.
“Some are more symbolic than substantive, and some are pretty low fruit to overturn Trump’s actions. Still, the accuracy of the launch is strong compared to the Trump administration,” said Andy Rudalevige, president from the Department of Government and Legal Studies at Bowdoin College, Maine.
Biden’s actions have been largely aimed at unraveling Trump’s policies that Democrats consider harmful and detrimental. With a stroke of the pen, Biden has rejoined the Paris climate agreement, stopped work on the Keystone XL gas pipeline, reversed the travel ban on Muslim-majority nations, and repealed Mexico City’s policy. .
It has also taken executive action to deliver on key campaign promises. In his first day in office, Biden strengthened the Deferred Actions for Child Arrival (DACA) program and took additional steps to require facial masks on federal property and on planes, trains and buses crossing state lines.
The breadth of the orders drew the expected backlash from the Conservatives, who accused Biden of betraying his message of unity and overriding his presidential authority. However, Republicans were less vocal when Trump issued his own series of executive orders.
But Biden’s moves have also received setbacks from others. The New York Times the drafting board implored the president to “facilitate” Thursday’s executive actions, describing them as a “flawed substitute for legislation” that ultimately results in instability because they can be overturned by the next incumbent.
White House officials have been adamant that Biden’s executive actions do not replace legislation, but seek to undo what they characterize as harmful policies under the previous administration and address urgent and unprecedented crises.
Matt Bennett, co-founder of the center-left think tank Third Way, called the Times editorial “stupid” and said the circumstances Biden is facing are unique because the country is in the midst of four crises: the pandemic, the economic recession and the climate. change and racial injustice.
“If there are things he can do quickly to prevent bleeding in any of these four areas, he will, but he is well aware that there are many things he cannot do alone and that Congress will need,” Bennett said. .
Although he has advanced unilaterally on several fronts, Biden is trying to leverage his experience and relations in the Senate in negotiations with Congress to pass a coronavirus relief bill and other legislation. The success of these goals could very well define his presidency.
Allies say Biden’s initial salvation gave a tone of action and inclusiveness and contrasted with the previous administration, but acknowledge that he does not want to rely solely on the executive branch.
“For me, what it does is set the tone: I’m the antithesis of the previous four years,” said Moe Vela, Obama administration director and senior adviser to Biden when he served as vice president. “It simply came to our notice then. I think I wanted to set the stage, set the tone and give the message. ”
Light, a professor at New York University, said it would be politically important for Biden to achieve major legislative success this year, especially if he wants to seek a second term. If he still signs executive action at a similar pace next year, Light said, “this is a sign of an impending catastrophe.”
“He doesn’t want to come out of this year with nothing as a big legislative success,” Light said.