Neera Tanden, a former top aide to President Joe Biden, testified for more than four hours Tuesday before the House Oversight Committee as part of its investigation into the former president’s mental fitness and his staff’s use of the autopen. From 2021 to 2023, Tanden served first as a staff secretary and later as a senior advisor to Biden.
According to a source familiar with her testimony, Tanden told lawmakers she had been “authorized to direct autopen signatures but was unaware of who in the president’s inner circle was giving her final clearance,” Fox News reported. Tanden said that after her promotion to director of the Domestic Policy Council in May 2023, she no longer had oversight of the autopen’s use.
According to the source, she claimed that the Biden administration’s system of autopen approval “was inherited from previous administrations.”
Given that Biden’s autopen was used to sign pardons, correspondence, and other key documents, access to the device should have been a tightly monitored and carefully controlled affair. That Tanden admitted she was unaware of who had provided the final authorization is nothing short of astounding.
According to Fox:
But Tanden, who said she had limited interactions with Biden, described an approval process that left her in the dark about who specifically was giving final approval on the decisions to use the automatic signature tool, sources told Fox News.Tanden 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.When Tanden was asked whether she ever discussed Biden’s health or his fitness to serve as president during her time as a top aide, including during the period of the former president’s widely criticized debate performance last summer, Tanden said she did not. Lawmakers laid out a list of names of officials she could have potentially discussed it with, and Tanden said “no” to each name, according to a source familiar with her closed-door testimony.
Following her testimony, Tanden briefly spoke to reporters. She said, “I just spoke with the House Oversight Committee, Majority and Minority Council. I answered every question, was pleased to discuss my public service and it was a thorough process. And I’m glad I answered everyone’s questions.”
Asked by a reporter if there had been an effort to coverup Biden’s condition, Tanden replied, “Absolutely not.”
It’s worth noting that early on, Biden nominated Tanden to be the director of the Office of Management and Budget. When it became obvious that she would not receive enough votes for Senate confirmation even in a Democrat-controlled Senate, she withdrew her name from consideration.
According to NPR:
It had become increasingly clear that Tanden’s nomination was in trouble after multiple key senators said they wouldn’t support her, citing her tweets criticizing some members of Congress. Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.V., was the most significant opponent.
Tanden was the first of five former Biden administration officials to appear before the Oversight Committee. Next up is Dr. Kevin O’Connor, Biden’s former White House physician, who was subpoenaed by the Republicans.
Three additional former Biden officials, including Anthony Bernal, a senior advisor to former First Lady Jill Biden, Annie Tomasini, Biden’s former deputy chief of staff, and Ashley Williams, Biden’s former deputy director of Oval Office operations, are scheduled to appear.
Fox reports that the Committee is also pursuing interviews with members of Biden’s inner circle, including Ron Klain, who served for two years as chief of staff, and Anita Dunn, who was once a close advisor.
Elizabeth writes commentary for The Washington Examiner and Legal Insurrection. She is an academy fellow at The Heritage Foundation. Please follow Elizabeth on X or LinkedIn.
CLICK HERE FOR FULL VERSION OF THIS STORY