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1 1 (May 10, 2021)

handle is hein.crs/govedgd0001 and id is 1 raw text is: Congressional a Research Service E The Biden Administration's Initial Presidential Directives in Context Updated May 10, 2021 In its first 100 days, the Biden Administration issued a number of presidential directives that have drawn significant public attention for their speed and range of purposes. Areview of the pace with which recent presidential Administrations issued executive orders shows the Biden Administration issued more executive orders than its recent predecessors during the first week and first 100 days of a first term. This Insight provides a brief overview of that activity and what it might mean for the rest of the Administration. What Are Presidential Directives? Presidential directives are tools Presidents use to announce administration policy and make declarations in their roles as leader of the executive branch, commander in chief of the Armed Forces, and head of state. Directives include well-known documents, such as executive orders and proclamations, as well as a variety of less well-known documents, including memoranda, notices, and decisions. While there are some legally relevant differences among the types of directives, especially related to whether they must be published in the Federal Register, in most cases the form of the directive is not as clear or legally significant as it might appear, especially in comparison to its content. Presidential directives have the force and effect of law if they are based on power granted by the U.S. Constitution, or delegated by Congress, to the President. However, because they are an exercise of the authority of the presidency, existing directives can be, and frequently are, modified or revoked across Administrations to reflect new or evolving priorities and policies. Such actions are especially likely to occur when a new President takes office. Also, if the President is acting under a grant of authority from Congress, Congress may legislate to alter that authority, prevent the implementation of a directive, or codify a directive in statute. Some types of directives, such as executive orders and proclamations, are published in the Federal Register and archived on its website. All of the unclassified directives issued by the Biden Administration to date are currently available on the White House website. These actions have received significant attention and may raise a variety of legal and policy questions. The purpose of this Insight is to describe Congressional Research Service https://crsreports.congress.gov IN11588 CRS INSIGHT Prepared for Membersand Committeesof Congress