Power the Future seeks answers on climate orders allegedly signed without Biden's awareness.

Nonprofit Urges Inquiry Into Legitimacy of Executive Actions

A watchdog group has urged Congress to investigate the validity of several climate-focused executive orders issued under former President Joe Biden, claiming they may have been signed without his direct knowledge.

Power the Future, an organization that advocates for U.S. energy workers, reviewed eight executive orders enacted during Biden’s presidency, including bans on Arctic and offshore drilling and a directive for net-zero emissions by 2050. The group asserts that there is no public record of Biden discussing these orders, raising concerns that they may have been authorized by staff and signed using an autopen device.

An autopen is a mechanical device that replicates a signature and has been used by past presidents. While legally permissible, the group questions whether its use in this context reflects presidential intent or awareness.

In formal letters sent to federal agencies and congressional oversight committees, Power the Future asked lawmakers to determine who drafted, approved, and ultimately signed the executive orders. The group’s executive director, Daniel Turner, emphasized that the actions reflect sweeping changes to national energy policy and that the public deserves to know whether Biden played an active role in implementing them.

“These are not obscure bureaucratic memos; these were foundational shifts in American energy policy,” Turner said. “Yet not once did Joe Biden speak about them publicly.”

Calls for Transparency and Accountability

In a letter to the House Oversight Committee, Power the Future called for a probe into whether these actions were taken with the president’s authorization. “Congress deserves to know how or whether these executive actions were authorized,” the letter stated, stressing the need to identify who instructed federal agencies to proceed with the policies.

The group also cited broader concerns about Biden’s awareness of policy decisions, referencing past claims that the president appeared unfamiliar with certain initiatives attributed to his administration. One such example involved a liquefied natural gas export pause, which he allegedly forgot signing during a meeting with House leadership.

The watchdog’s letter warned that major policy shifts made “in the president’s name” without his explicit approval constitute a serious breach of public trust. It called for the Department of Justice to investigate whether such actions were legally and constitutionally valid.

Turner emphasized that billions of dollars in federal spending were directed toward green initiatives during the Biden administration. “There is no evidence that Biden ordered it, directed it, or was even aware it was happening in his name,” he said.

He described the alleged use of the autopen as a potential “scandal” that undermines the legitimacy of the policies and said those responsible should face consequences for “perpetuating a great fraud on the nation.”

The group’s demand adds to a growing chorus of scrutiny over the execution of executive powers and the level of transparency provided to the public in their implementation.