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President Joe Biden has signed only two executive orders since he abruptly announced on July 21 that he was withdrawing from the 2024 presidential race, which is a significant departure from his recent predecessors. This announcement has been accompanied by a relative paucity of executive actions when compared to previous presidents in their last year in office.
Biden’s most recent executive order, signed on August 30, 2024, focuses on federal construction projects, promoting the use of project labor agreements to ensure fair labor practices. This action came after his initial post-withdrawal order on July 25, which established an emergency board to address a dispute between New Jersey Transit Rail Operations and its locomotive engineers. Additionally, just before his withdrawal, Biden signed an executive order aimed at advancing educational equity through Hispanic-serving institutions.
In stark contrast, former President Donald Trump signed seven executive orders in August 2020, addressing issues from COVID-19 assistance to national security threats posed by foreign technology companies. Similarly, former President Barack Obama signed five executive orders in August 2016, covering topics such as environmental protection and labor law compliance.
The marked difference in Biden’s executive order activity has not gone unnoticed. Prominent figures, including tech billionaire Elon Musk, have commented on the perceived lack of governance. Musk’s tweet reflecting on Biden’s minimal executive actions has fueled public discourse on the matter.
In response to Biden’s current approach, Trump has teased future executive actions, including a proposed order aimed at banning federal employees from limiting free speech, signaling his intent to tackle perceived issues of censorship.
As the 2024 election cycle continues, Biden’s relatively few executive orders stand in contrast to the more vigorous action taken by his predecessors during similar periods. The implications of this disparity, along with its impact on Biden’s legacy and current administration effectiveness, remain a topic of keen interest and debate.