Neera Tanden, who previously held a senior position in President Joe Biden’s administration, appeared before Congress and acknowledged that she had the authority to initiate the use of an autopen for the president’s signature. However, she admitted she was not aware of who ultimately gave the go-ahead for using the device.
Tanden, who oversaw the Domestic Policy Council during her time in the White House, told lawmakers that Biden’s team made use of a mechanical signature tool that enabled staffers to sign official papers—including pardons and memoranda—on the president’s behalf. Despite being involved in the process, she stated that she did not know who exactly authorized each instance. As Fox News reported:
“During Tanden’s interview before Congress, which lasted more than five hours, she told lawmakers that, in her role as staff secretary and senior advisor to the former president between 2021 and 2023, she was authorized to direct autopen signatures on behalf of Biden, an Oversight Committee official told Fox News.
“Tanden, who reportedly said during her testimony that she had limited interactions with Biden in her role, according to sources familiar with her testimony, described an approval process that left her – at least partly – in the dark about who specifically was giving final approval on the decisions to use the automatic signature tool, even though she simultaneously insisted Biden was in charge.
“Tanden reportedly testified that to get approval for the use of autopen signatures she would send decision memos to members of Biden’s inner circle. However, she added that she was not aware of what actions or approvals took place between the time she sent the decision memo and the time she received it back with the necessary approval, according to the source familiar.”
One lawmaker from the minority side of the Oversight Committee dismissed Tanden’s statements, calling them untruthful. According to a former White House staffer, “written sign off [from Biden] on every executive action she presented him with” was always obtained.
“Any other characterization is a distortion of the testimony,” the official added. “To intimate that Neera Tanden said President Biden did not approve every single presidential decision and sign off on every executive action coming out of the White House is a lie.”
Tanden’s lawyer, Michael Bromwich, aligned with that version of events. He emphasized that the autopen was only used after Biden had reviewed and approved the decision personally.
“The autopen was used … only after the President personally approved the decision,” Bromwich said. “Aides at no time signed these documents on President Biden’s behalf.”