Republican lawmakers have already pointed out the orders – especially those that undo some of former President Donald Trump’s most controversial policies – as evidence of Biden’s alleged failure to unite the country in the early days of his government, as he had repeatedly promised he would.
Democrats, for their part, dismissed these accusations as hypocrites, arguing that Biden is simply delivering on the popular campaign promises that earned him the 2020 election with the most votes for a presidential candidate in American history.
Criticism of Biden’s orders resurfaced on Thursday in an unexpected forum, the Times, when the newspaper’s editorial board published a column instructing the new president: “Facilitate executive actions, Joe.”
While a “polarized and narrowly divided Congress may offer Biden little choice but to employ executive actions or see his entire agenda hostage,” wrote the editorial board, “these guidelines … are an imperfect substitute for legislation.”
Contrary to Republican complaints, however, the editorial board’s concerns about Biden’s orders focused mainly on its “more ephemeral” nature compared to legislation – noting that executive actions can be “easily dismissed” by governments subsequent
The Times editorial comes at a time when the president’s legislative agenda remains uniquely concerned with the need for further relief from the pandemic. White House economic officials are still in talks with a bipartisan working group of senators in an effort to approve Biden’s expansive stimulus proposal.
But resistance even from some moderate Republicans increased the likelihood of Biden and Democratic lawmakers renouncing negotiations in favor of Congress’ budgetary reconciliation process, which would allow the package to pass a simple majority vote in the Senate.