Now that Donald Trump has again assumed the presidency, he wields considerable power. One such power is the ability is the ability to sign executive orders.
How do executive orders work?
As head of the executive branch of the federal government, presidents typically use executive orders to manage operations, according to the Office of the Federal Register, where such orders are numbered and filed after being signed into effect.
Executive orders don’t need any congressional action. They can be things like tasks for federal agencies to carry out or calls for reports and are typically used for things that wouldn’t make it through Congress.
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These orders can be stopped in some cases by Congress or the court system. They date back to the days of President George Washington. Governors are able to implement executive orders on the state level, as the heads of their respective state executive branches.
How many executive orders do presidents typically sign?
During his first term, Trump signed 220 executive orders. President Joe Biden signed 160 during his term. President Barack Obama signed 277 Executive orders between 2009 and 2017. President George W. Bush signed 291 Executive orders between 2001 and 2009 and President Bill Clinton signed 364 Executive orders between 1993 and 2001.
In his inaugural address, Trump outlined several actions he intends to take in the coming hours and days.
It’s unclear which would specifically utilize executive orders but he announced plans to declare a national emergency at the country’s southern border, send troops to southern border, declare a national energy emergency, implement tariffs and taxes on foreign countries and create an external revenue service and a department of government efficiency.
Katie Sobko covers the New Jersey Statehouse. Email: sobko@northjersey.com
