Timeline: The Autopen Debate

The House Oversight Committee released a report alleging a cover-up of Biden's cognitive decline and questioned the legitimacy of executive actions signed with an autopen. The report suggests Biden's staff propped him up, leading to reliance on the autopen, thus rendering some actions void without proof of Biden's decision-making. Attorney General Pam Bondi is reviewing the report, specifically regarding Biden's pardons. A federal appeals court ruled that pardons don't require a signature if the president's decision is evident. The committee argues that the Biden White House had lax decision-making procedures, making it difficult to trace decisions back to him. While the Constitution says presidents "shall" sign bills, the legality of using an autopen for legislation remains debated and the report does not address legislation passed in this form. Past administrations, including Obama's, have used autopens, citing a 2005 Justice Department opinion allowing it. Trump also investigated Biden's autopen use and declared the pardons void. Democrats on the Committee issued a rebuttal, providing examples of Biden administration officials testifying that Biden managed complex policy discussions, and dismissing the autopen "scandal" as partisan.