Seriously — Is There Even a ‘Biden Administration’, Per Se?
‘Joe Biden’ seems an unlikely champion of the ‘Biden administration’ immigration policies
By Andrew R. Arthur on July 17, 2024
Events in recent weeks have led many observers to question the degree to which President Biden controls the various departments and agencies he (officially, at least) leads. If those concerns are correct, it would explain why the “Biden administration” has implemented so many questionable immigration policies “Joe Biden” has opposed in the past — as well as a few that clash with his own current policies.
“Joe Biden” vs. the “Biden Administration”. When I talk about “Joe Biden”, I’m referring to the erstwhile senior senator from Delaware, former vice president, and serially unsuccessful presidential candidate.
Then-Sen. Biden was a person with whom I had a passing familiarity during my first stint on Capitol Hill, when I was working for the House Judiciary Committee and he was past chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee and chairman (and then ranking member) of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
Even by congressional standards, it was always tough to get a bead on his true principles. Not that there was anything wrong with that, particularly given that he was often considered by colleagues and staffers to be a “dealmaker”, and it’s tough to cut deals when you are unduly hidebound.
That said, “Joe Biden” did stake out some clear positions on immigration.
https://cis.org/Arthur/Seriously-There-Even-Biden-Administration-Se
