Automated signature device used by Obama
In a historical first, Barack Obama, the 44th President of the United States, used an autopen to sign a bill into law. The autopen, a 200-year-old invention, was first patented in 1803 and has been used by several presidents for various documents.
The autopen, which contains a copy of the user's signature, allows documents to be signed remotely. This method of signing was not a first for the White House, but Obama was the first to use it for legislation. The legal analysis allowing the use of autopen for signing bills emerged in 2005 during George W. Bush's administration, but Bush did not use it for signing bills.
Obama's use of the autopen to sign a bill into law was for a last-minute extension of the Patriot Act in 2011. The Patriot Act, originally signed into US law in 2001, allows US intelligence agencies to inspect data hosted on US soil. The extension of the Patriot Act, due to expire 15 minutes before Obama gave his authorization for the autopen to be used, was a controversial move.
During his presidential campaign, Obama opposed the Patriot Act. However, as President, he extended the Act, signing it from France using the autopen. The Department of Justice chose the more environmentally friendly, 19th Century option of using an autopen over flying the paper to the President.
Thomas Jefferson, the third US president, was an early adopter of the autopen, describing it as "the finest invention of the present age." Other presidents, such as Lyndon B. Johnson, Richard Nixon, and Ronald Reagan, had considered using the autopen to sign bills, but the Department of Justice opted for flying the paper to the president instead.
In more recent times, President Joe Biden has also used the autopen for certain official documents. This has led to legislative efforts to restrict such use, particularly for non-bill documents like executive orders, pardons, and commutations. The controversy surrounding the use of the autopen for non-bill documents continues to be a topic of debate.
In conclusion, Barack Obama made history by becoming the first president to legally and officially sign a bill into law with an autopen. The autopen, a 200-year-old invention, has been used by several presidents for various documents, but Obama's use of it for legislation was a groundbreaking moment in presidential history.
[1] [https://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/28/us/politics/28autopen.html] [2] [https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/obama-signs-patriot-act-extension-using-autopen/2011/05/27/AFXlMg6E_story.html] [3] [https://www.politico.com/news/2021/01/20/biden-autopen-controversy-461468]
- As technology evolves, artificial-intelligence systems might one day be capable of executing tasks like the autopen, which was used by President Barack Obama to sign a bill into law.
- The use of gadgets, such as the autopen, has become increasingly prevalent in the White House, with President Joe Biden also employing it for certain official documents, sparking ongoing debates about its legitimacy, particularly for non-legislative documents.
