President Joe Biden (D) vetoed the third bill of his presidency on May 16, 2023. Biden vetoed H.J.Res.39, a joint resolution of disapproval under the terms of the Congressional Review Act (CRA) that sought to void a Department of Commerce rule suspending some tariffs on solar panel imports.
In his veto message, Biden said, “I vetoed H.J. Res. 39 because we cannot afford to create new uncertainty for American businesses and workers in the solar industry. We can and must strengthen our energy security by maintaining our focus on expanding U.S. capacity that is ready to come on line as this temporary bridge concludes in June 2024.”
Overriding a presidential veto requires a two-thirds majority vote in both chambers of Congress. The House of Representatives and Senate both passed the resolution by a simple majority.
The House of Representatives voted 221-202 to approve the resolution on April 28. The Senate voted 56-41 to approve the resolution on May 3. Rep. Bill Posey (R-Fla.) introduced the resolution on March 7.
President Ronald Reagan (R) issued the most vetoes (87) of all presidents since 1981. Biden, with three vetoes, has issued the fewest. President Donald Trump (R) issued the second-fewest vetoes (9) within this timeframe.
Presidents have issued 2,586 vetoes in American history. Congress has overridden 112. President Franklin D. Roosevelt vetoed 635 bills, the most of any president. Presidents John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, John Q. Adams, William H. Harrison, Zachary Taylor, Millard Fillmore, and James A. Garfield did not issue any vetoes.
President Joe Biden (D) endorsed Heather Boyd (D) in a special state legislative election in Pennsylvania on May 15, his first endorsement in the 2023 election cycle.
Boyd is running against Katie Ford (R) and Alfe Goodwin (L) to fill a vacancy left in House District 163 following state Rep. Michael Zabel’s (D) resignation on May 16.
The District 163 race is one of two special elections on May 16. The other, in House District 108, is to fill the vacancy left following former Rep. Lynda Culver’s (R) resignation to join the state Senate.
These special elections will determine which party controls the Pennsylvania House. If Democrats win at least one race, they will retain their majority. Republicans need to win both races to gain control of the chamber.
According to CNalysis, during the 2020 presidential election, Biden received 62% of the vote in what is now District 163. Former President Donald Trump (R) received 65% of the vote in what is now District 108.
While this is his first in 2023, Biden issued 12 endorsements in 2022, three in primaries and nine in general elections. Of his three primary endorsees, two won (67%), and of the nine general election endorsees, eight won (89%).
Biden’s general election win rate of 89% in 2022 was his highest since Ballotpedia began collecting endorsement data in 2016.
With fewer races on the ballot in odd-numbered years, Biden tends to endorse fewer candidates, making 10 endorsements in 2017 but only two in 2019 and 2021.
Biden issued his most endorsements in 2018, with 129 in that year’s general elections, 83 (64%) of whom won.
Biden issued 25 executive orders in January 2021, more than any other month of his presidency. He did not issue any executive orders in November 2022 and January 2023.
Biden is averaging 48 executive orders per year, tied with Ronald Reagan (R) for second-most among presidents since 1981. Donald Trump (R) averaged 55 executive orders per year, the most in that time. Barack Obama (D) issued 35 per year, the fewest in that time.
Franklin D. Roosevelt (D) issued 307 executive orders per year on average, the most of all U.S. presidents. William Henry Harrison (Whig) averaged the fewest, issuing none during his one month in office. Three presidents issued only one executive order each: James Madison (Democratic-Republican), James Monroe (Democratic-Republican), and John Adams (Federalist).
Polling averages at the end of April 2023 showed President Joe Biden (D) with a 43% approval rating. Fifty-three percent of voters disapproved of his performance.
Biden’s approval rating held at 43% over the course of the month. The lowest approval rating Biden has received is 38%, last seen on July 27, 2022. The highest approval rating Biden has received is 55%, last seen on May 26, 2021.
At the end of April, Congress’ approval rating was 28%, and disapproval was 59%. The highest approval rating the 118th Congress received was 33%, last seen on April 21, 2023, and the lowest approval rating it received was 22%, last seen on March 24, 2023.
At this point in his presidency, President Donald Trump’s (R) approval rating was also 43%, and congressional approval was seven points lower than it is now at 21%.
Ballotpedia’s polling index takes the average of polls conducted over the last thirty days to calculate presidential and congressional approval ratings. We average the results and show all polling results side-by-side because we believe that paints a clearer picture of public opinion than any individual poll can provide. The data is updated daily as new polling results are published.
President Joe Biden (D) issued an executive order on April 21 creating a White House Office of Environmental Justice and directing all federal agencies to prioritize what it described as environmental justice in their policymaking whenever and however possible. According to Fox News:
“President Biden will sign an executive order Friday in the Rose Garden that will direct every agency of the federal government to incorporate ‘environmental justice’ into its mission, the White House said.
“The White House has invited environmental justice leaders, climate advocates and community leaders to join the president at the signing ceremony today. There, Biden will reaffirm his administration’s commitment to fighting climate change and correcting ‘disproportionate environmental harms,’ including those inflicted by a ‘legacy of racial discrimination including redlining.’
“‘The executive order will direct agencies to address gaps in science and data to better understand and prevent the cumulative impacts of pollution on people’s health. It will create a new Office of Environmental Justice in the White House to coordinate all environmental justice efforts across the federal government. And it will require agencies to notify nearby communities in the event of a release of toxic substances from a federal facility,’ a White House official said….
“The new White House Office of Environmental Justice created by Biden’s action will be led by a Federal Chief Environmental Justice Officer, who will be tasked with coordinating ‘environmental justice’ policy across the whole federal government….
“The White House contrasted Biden’s planned action with policies favored by House Republicans and Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., accusing ‘extreme MAGA Republicans’ of being in the pocket of Big Oil.”
On April 25, 2023, exactly four years after he announced his 2020 presidential campaign, President Joe Biden (D) announced his campaign for re-election in 2024. Biden’s entry brings the tally of noteworthy presidential candidates to three Democrats, five Republicans, and one Republican with an exploratory committee.
Below is a summary of each candidate’s campaign activity from April 21 to April 28.
In addition to announcing his campaign, Biden announced his campaign leadership. Senior White House Advisor Julie Chavez Rodriguez will serve as campaign manager. Quentin Fulks, who worked on Sen. Raphael Warnock’s (D-Ga.) 2022 re-election campaign, will be deputy campaign manager. Co-chairs for the campaign include Rep. Jim Clyburn (D-S.C.), former DreamWorks CEO Jeffrey Katzenberg, Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer (D), Rep. Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-Del.), Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), Rep. Veronica Escobar (D-Texas), and Sen. Chris Coons (D-Del.).
Marianne Williamson (D) held an event in New York City on April 22 and campaigned in Michigan on April 24. She also issued a statement responding to Biden’s re-election campaign on April 25.
Nikki Haley (R) delivered a policy speech outlining her position on abortion. From April 26 to April 28, she campaigned in New Hampshire.
Asa Hutchinson (R) held a campaign launch event on April 26 in Bentonville, Ark. He also spoke at an event hosted by the Iowa Faith & Freedom Coalition on April 22.
Vivek Ramaswamy (R) spoke at the Iowa Faith & Freedom Coalition event on April 22 and continued campaigning in the state through April 24. He also issued a statement on Biden’s re-election campaign on April 24 and began a four-day campaign tour in South Carolina.
Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.), still exploring a possible presidential campaign, also spoke at the Iowa Faith & Freedom Coalition event on April 22 and issued a statement responding to Biden’s re-election campaign on April 25.
Donald Trump (R) held a campaign event in New Hampshire on April 27. He campaigned in Florida on April 21 and released an ad criticizing Florida Governor Ron DeSantis (R) on April 24. Trump also issued a statement on Biden’s re-election campaign on April 24.
Ballotpedia did not identify any campaign activity from former Montana Secretary of State Corey Stapleton (R).
At this point in the 2020 cycle, 23 noteworthy candidates were running for president. Twenty-one were seeking the Democratic nomination, and two (Trump and former Massachusetts Governor Bill Weld) were seeking the Republican nomination.
Notable stories at the time included Biden’s presidential campaign announcement on April 25, 2019, Rep. Seth Moulton’s (D-Mass.) campaign announcement on April 22, and three Democratic presidential candidates announcing they supported impeaching then-President Trump.
In the 2016 election, four noteworthy candidates had announced their campaigns as of April 28, 2015. There was one Democrat, the eventual 2016 nominee Hillary Clinton (D), and three Republicans, Sens. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), Rand Paul (R-Ky.), and Marco Rubio (R-Fla.). At this point in the 2016 cycle, noteworthy stories included profiles of Republican donors and reporting on former Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker’s (R) preparations for a presidential run.
The Federal Register is a daily journal of federal government activity that includes presidential documents, proposed and final rules, and public notices. It is a common measure of an administration’s regulatory activity, accounting for both regulatory and deregulatory actions.
From April 17, 2023, through April 21, 2023, the Federal Register grew by 1,354 pages for a year-to-date total of 24,676 pages.
The Federal Register hit an all-time high of 95,894 pages in 2016.
This week’s Federal Register featured the following 546 documents:
461 notices
Five presidential documents
34 proposed rules
46 final rules
Five proposed rules, including proposed controls for automated peptide synthesizers from the Industry and Security Bureau, and four final rules, including implementation of the Helping American Victims Afflicted by Neurological Attacks (HAVANA) Act of 2021 from the Commerce Department were deemed significant under E.O. 12866—defined by the potential to have large impacts on the economy, environment, public health, or state or local governments. Significant actions may also conflict with presidential priorities or other agency rules. The Biden administration in 2023 has issued 124 significant proposed rules, 79 significant final rules, and four significant notices as of April 21.
Ballotpedia maintains page counts and other information about the Federal Register as part of its Administrative State Project. The project is a neutral, nonpartisan encyclopedic resource that defines and analyzes the administrative state, including its philosophical origins, legal and judicial precedents, and scholarly examinations of its consequences. The project also monitors and reports on measures of federal government activity.
Click here to find more information about weekly additions to the Federal Register in 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018, and 2017: Changes to the Federal Register
Through April 13, 2023, there were 890 authorized federal judicial posts and 76 vacancies. Seventy-four of those were for Article III judgeships. This report is limited to Article III courts, where appointees are confirmed to lifetime judgeships.
In the past month, 10 judges have been confirmed
In the past month, four judges have been nominated.
By April 1, 802 days in office, President Joe Biden (D) had nominated 152 judges to Article III judgeships. For historical comparison*:
President Donald Trump (R) had nominated 246 individuals, 150 of which were ultimately confirmed to their positions.
President Barack Obama (D) had nominated 178 individuals, 119 of which were confirmed.
President George W. Bush (R) had nominated 223 individuals, 140 of which were confirmed.
*Note: These figures include unsuccessful nominations.
The following data visualizations track the number of Article III judicial nominations by president by days in office during the Biden, Trump, Obama, and W. Bush administrations (2001-present).
The first tracker is limited to successful nominations, where the nominee was ultimately confirmed to their respective court:
The second tracker counts all Article III nominations, including unsuccessful nominations (for example, the nomination was withdrawn or the U.S. Senate did not vote on the nomination), renominations of individuals to the same court, and recess appointments. A recess appointment is when the president appoints a federal official while the Senate is in recess.
The second tracker counts all Article III nominations, including unsuccessful nominations (for example, the nomination was withdrawn or the U.S. Senate did not vote on the nomination), renominations of individuals to the same court, and recess appointments. A recess appointment is when the president appoints a federal official while the Senate is in recess.
The data contained in these charts is compiled by Ballotpedia staff from publicly available information provided by the Federal Judicial Center. The comparison by days shown between the presidents is not reflective of the larger states of the federal judiciary during their respective administrations and is intended solely to track nominations by president by day.
Correction: In our February, March, and April updates, there were errors in our nominations calculations for President Joe Biden. We have fixed these and regret the errors.
As of April 10, 2023, PredictIt’s 2024 presidential market shows President Joe Biden (D) leading at $0.40, followed by former President Donald Trump (R) at $0.29, and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis (R) at $0.24. Biden has held the lead in this market since Jan. 22, 2023. No other candidate has more than a $0.10 share price. The share price, which rises and falls based on market demand, roughly corresponds to the market’s estimate of the probability of an event taking place.
Trump is the only candidate of this group to officially announce his presidential campaign.
Biden leads the Democratic presidential primary market at $0.70. One other candidate, California Governor Gavin Newsom (D), has a share price at or above $0.10. Newsom stands at $0.12.
Trump leads the Republican presidential primary market at $0.48. He’s led this market since March 24, 2023. Trump is followed by DeSantis, who stands at $0.34. No other candidate has a share price at or above $0.10.
PredictIt is an online political futures market in which users purchase shares relating to the outcome of political events using real money. Each event, such as an election, has a number of contracts associated with it, each correlating to a different outcome. Services such as PredictIt can be used to gain insight into the outcome of elections.
President Joe Biden (D) vetoed the second bill of his presidency on April 6, 2023. Biden vetoed H.J.Res.27, a joint resolution of disapproval under the terms of the Congressional Review Act (CRA) that sought to void an Environmental Protection Agency and Army Corps of Engineers rule from 2023 that specified “which bodies of water fall under the scope of the Clean Water Act and are thereby under federal jurisdiction and protected.”
In his veto message, Biden said, “The resolution would leave Americans without a clear definition of ‘Waters of the United States’. The increased uncertainty caused by H.J. Res. 27 would threaten economic growth, including for agriculture, local economies, and downstream communities. […] The resolution would also negatively affect tens of millions of United States households that depend on healthy wetlands and streams.”
Overriding a presidential veto requires a two-thirds majority vote in both chambers of Congress. The House of Representatives and Senate both initially passed the resolution by a simple majority.
The House of Representatives voted 227-198 to approve the resolution on March 9, 2023. The Senate voted 53-43 to approve the resolution on March 29. Rep. Sam Graves (R-Mo.) introduced the resolution on Feb. 2.
President Ronald Reagan (R) issued the most vetoes (87) of all presidents since 1981. Biden, with two vetoes, has issued the fewest. President Donald Trump (R) issued the second-fewest vetoes (9) within this timeframe.
Presidents have issued 2,586 vetoes in American history. Congress has overridden 112. President Franklin D. Roosevelt vetoed 635 bills, the most of any president. Presidents John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, John Q. Adams, William H. Harrison, Zachary Taylor, Millard Fillmore, and James A. Garfield did not issue any vetoes.
