Who is Neera Tanden? Biden aide admits approving autopen signatures without knowing who cleared them
Neera Tanden
, who used to work closely with President Joe Biden, told Congress that she was allowed to approve autopen signatures on important documents. But she admitted she didn't know exactly who was giving her the final okay. The investigation centered around the fact that a frailing Biden was taking all the major calls, or whether others in the White House and his circle were doing it for him.
Neera Tandon, former Director of the Domestic Policy Council and a former senior staff advisor, was summoned by the House Oversight Committee in Capitol Hill in a closed door meeting, with no media persons allowed in, as per Fox News report.
Her testimony lasted for over five hours. She answered questions from both Republican and Democrat staff. Congress is investigating how much President Biden is personally involved in major decisions. They're especially looking into whether others have been using something called the autopen to sign things for him, as per the reports.
The autopen is a machine that signs the president's name on papers — like memos, letters, and even pardons — when someone gives it the go-ahead. Tanden said she was authorized to send orders for using the autopen on behalf of President Biden. She would send 'decision memos' to other top people in the White House, as per Fox News report.
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Tanden didn't know who gave final OK
But she admitted that she did not know who was actually making the final decision to approve those autopen signatures. She just sent the memo and got it back later with approval. This means she helped carry out the autopen orders but wasn't sure who exactly told her it was okay to move forward.
Tanden also said she had limited personal contact with Biden. She didn't talk to him much directly. Lawmakers asked her if she ever spoke with anyone about Biden's health or mental ability to do the job — especially after a bad debate performance in summer 2023. She was asked about many officials and said 'no' to all of them, according to a Fox News report.
More Biden team members will testify
She didn't speak to the press when she arrived at the Capitol that morning. But after the interview, she did talk briefly to reporters. She said she answered every single question and was happy to talk about her time in public service. She called the process 'thorough' and said she was glad she took part.
When someone asked her directly if the White House tried to hide Biden's health condition, she replied, 'Absolutely not.' More people from the Biden team will also be talking to the Oversight Committee. The next big name is Dr. Kevin O'Connor, Biden's former White House doctor, as per the reports.
He has been subpoenaed to give a deposition. Other senior aides set to testify include Anthony Bernal, senior advisor to First Lady Jill Biden, Annie Tomasini, Biden's former deputy chief of staff, and Ashley Williams, who helped manage Oval Office operations, as stated by Fox News report.
FAQs
Q1. Who is Neera Tanden?
Neera Tanden is a former top aide to President Joe Biden. She worked as the Director of the Domestic Policy Council and senior advisor from 2021 to 2023.
Q2. What is the autopen signature?
The autopen is a machine that automatically signs documents for the president, like memos and pardons, when authorized by White House staff.
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