GOP Rep Introduces Bill That Would Ban ‘Auto-Pen’ Use Except in Certain Limited Circumstances

The American people may soon get answers about who actually signed executive actions during Joe Biden’s presidency. A new bill in Congress aims to ban the use of autopen devices for signing official documents like laws, executive orders, and pardons.

Key Facts:

  • Rep. Addison McDowell (R-NC) introduced the BIDEN Act to ban autopen use for key presidential actions.
  • The act would prohibit anyone but the president from signing engrossed bills, executive orders, pardons, or commutations.
  • McDowell claims Biden’s mental decline enabled unelected staffers to sign major documents without his knowledge.
  • President Biden has publicly denied the accusations, stating he made all decisions during his time in office.
  • The bill declares that documents previously signed via autopen would be rendered legally void.

The Rest of The Story:

Rep. Addison McDowell of North Carolina has introduced the “Ban on Inkless Directives and Executive Notarizations Act of 2025,” also known as the BIDEN Act.

The bill would amend federal law to explicitly require the sitting president—not a machine or staffer—to personally sign all official actions such as bills, executive orders, and pardons.

The legislation includes strong retroactive language, declaring that any document signed using an autopen—even before this law would go into effect—would carry no legal force.

This would affect a range of Biden-era policies, pending review.

In a press release, McDowell wrote, “The American people elect a President to run the country, not a cabal of woke staffers.”

He further stated, “The BIDEN Act will ensure that rogue bureaucrats can no longer take advantage of a mentally incompetent President to seize authority awarded to the Oval Office.”

Former President Joe Biden responded last month to rumors that he wasn’t in control of key decisions.

“Let me be clear: I made the decisions during my presidency… Any suggestion that I didn’t is ridiculous and false,” he said.

The proposed law has already generated fierce debate over presidential responsibility, transparency, and the role of staffers in executive governance.

Commentary:

What Rep. McDowell is proposing isn’t just a bill—it’s a line in the sand.

For years, Americans have watched unelected bureaucrats chip away at the responsibilities of elected leaders.

If what this bill suggests is true, Joe Biden wasn’t just out of the loop—he may not have even known what was being done in his name.

The use of an autopen to sign significant national directives, especially in a time of obvious cognitive decline, represents a betrayal of public trust.

The presidency is not a committee project.

It’s a constitutional office with immense responsibility, and every action must be owned by the man elected to hold it.

This is about more than pen-and-paper protocol.

It’s about who really had the power in the White House.

If staffers used the president’s name to push policy without his full comprehension or participation, we’re not just talking about unethical behavior—we’re talking about a constitutional crisis.

The fact that executive orders, pardons, and laws may have been validated by a machine raises serious questions about their legality.

The American people deserve clarity, and if that clarity leads to nullifying illegal orders, so be it.

Further, any individual or group that knowingly concealed the president’s mental condition must be held legally accountable.

This wasn’t a small cover-up—it may have altered the course of history.

Prosecution and jail time should be on the table for those responsible.

There must also be a hard stop on the autopen’s use for any major action.

It should be restricted to ceremonial letters or minor acknowledgments—never for laws, pardons, or orders affecting millions of citizens.

McDowell’s bill is the beginning of restoring truth in executive power.

It’s a critical step to prevent future administrations from repeating the same deception.

The Bottom Line:

The BIDEN Act aims to stop what many see as the most deceptive abuse of power in modern presidential history.

If passed, it would ensure only a sitting president—not a machine or staffer—can authorize major national actions.

This bill may be the legal and moral reset the executive branch urgently needs.

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