President Biden’s executive order pace has taken a backseat in recent months, with critics and observers drawing comparisons to his predecessors. Since announcing his decision to step back from the 2024 presidential race and endorsing Vice President Kamala Harris, Biden has signed only two executive orders, significantly fewer than his recent predecessors at this point in their presidencies.
The contrast is striking. Former President Trump signed seven executive orders in August 2020, while former President Obama signed five in August 2016. These orders covered a range of issues, from tackling COVID-19 to addressing national security threats posed by certain technology companies.
Biden’s latest executive orders focused on bolstering the economy and infrastructure. On Friday, September 6th, he signed an executive order in Michigan, aiming to ensure that the largest federal construction projects utilize project labor agreements. This followed an earlier executive order on July 25th, creating an emergency board to investigate a dispute between New Jersey Transit Rail Operations and its locomotive engineers.
The relatively low number of executive orders has sparked online commentary, with Elon Musk even remarking, “I keep forgetting that Biden is still technically in charge of the country.” Meanwhile, Trump has hinted at a new executive order of his own, aimed at restricting federal employee speech and firing those involved in censorship.
This shift in focus from executive action to campaigning comes as Harris prepares for her first debate with Trump. The vice president’s recent addition of a policy page to her campaign website, focusing on issues like economic equality and climate change, further underscores the growing emphasis on policy and campaigning in the run-up to the election.
While Biden’s decision not to seek re-election has undoubtedly shifted his priorities, the lack of executive order activity has raised eyebrows and highlighted the changing dynamics within the White House as the 2024 election draws closer.