President Biden has signed two executive orders since dropping out of the 2024 presidential race, lagging behind previous presidents at this point in an election year.
Biden visited the battleground state of Michigan on Friday and met with union leaders in Ann Arbor before signing what the White House called a “good jobs” executive order.
“I signed an executive order to ensure that the largest federal construction projects in America are built under project labor agreements,” Biden said in Ann Arbor, adding, “This is a big thing.”
Biden has signed just one more executive order since his unprecedented announcement on July 21 that he was forgoing reelection and endorsing Vice President Kamala Harris.
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President Biden leaves St. Joseph of the Brandywine Catholic Church in Wilmington, Delaware after attending Mass, Saturday, September 7, 2024. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Senator)
Biden signed an executive order on July 25 establishing an emergency committee to investigate a dispute between the New Jersey Transit Railroad Authority and locomotive engineers represented by the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers. Just days before leaving office, Biden signed an executive order on July 17 on “Advancing Educational Equity, Excellence, and Economic Opportunity through Hispanic Serving Institutions.”
Biden's signing rate is much lower than that of his immediate predecessors to date, including former President Trump, who signed seven executive orders in August 2020. Similarly, former President Barack Obama signed five executive orders in August 2016, his final year in office.
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Trump, the current Republican presidential nominee, hinted at his own new executive order at a campaign rally in Wisconsin on Saturday.
“I will sign an executive order prohibiting federal officials from conspiring to censor speech, and under the Harris Administration, I will fire every federal employee engaged in domestic censorship,” Trump said.
Former President Trump departs from a campaign event at the Central Wisconsin Airport in Mosinee, Wisconsin on September 7, 2024. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
Fox News Digital reached out to the White House on Monday about Biden falling behind on Trump and Obama's executive order records but did not immediately receive a response.
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The seven executive orders issued by President Trump in August 2020 included “targeting Opportunity Zones and other distressed areas for locating Federal facilities,” “combating the spread of COVID-19 by providing assistance to renters and homeowners,” and “combating the public health emergency and strengthening national security by ensuring essential medicines, medical countermeasures, and critical inputs are manufactured in the United States.”
The Republican president's orders that month also focused on “taking additional steps to address the threat posed by WeChat and address the national emergency related to the information and communications technology and services supply chain,” “taking additional steps to address the threat posed by TikTok and address the national emergency related to the information and communications technology and services supply chain,” “improving access to rural health care and telehealth,” and “aligning federal contracting and employment practices with the interests of American workers.”
President Biden embraces Rep. Debbie Dingell (D-Mich.) during a signing ceremony after speaking to union members about his Invest in America policy, Friday, Sept. 6, 2024, in Ann Arbor, Michigan. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Senator)
In August 2016, President Obama signed executive orders establishing the order of succession within the Environmental Protection Agency, the Department of Veterans Affairs, and the Department of the Treasury.
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That same month, the Democratic commander in chief, whom Biden served as vice president, also signed amendments to two 2014 executive orders: one focused on “promoting economies and efficiency in procurement by contracting with responsible sources that comply with labor laws,” and another expanded the membership of the Presidential Advisory Commission on Doing Business in Africa.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
