Fact check: Did Biden bypass congress

1. Summary of the results

Yes, the Biden administration did bypass Congress on multiple documented occasions. The most clearly established instances occurred in December 2023, when Secretary of State Antony Blinken made emergency determinations to approve weapons sales to Israel without congressional approval ^{[1] [2] [3]}.

Specifically, the administration bypassed Congress for a $147.5 million emergency weapons sale covering equipment needed to make 155 mm shells function ^{[1] [2]}. This represented the second time in a month that the Biden administration used emergency procedures to circumvent normal congressional oversight for weapons sales to Israel ^[1].

Additionally, the Biden administration bypassed Congress in April 2024 by extending Section 702 surveillance programs, demonstrating a pattern of circumventing congressional authority on national security matters ^[4].

2. Missing context/alternative viewpoints

The original question lacks crucial context about when, why, and under what circumstances these congressional bypasses occurred. The emergency weapons sales to Israel happened during the Gaza war amid growing international outrage ^[3], suggesting the administration may have viewed speed as essential for national security or foreign policy objectives.

Alternative viewpoints on who benefits:

• Defense contractors and weapons manufacturers would benefit financially from expedited weapons sales without congressional delays or potential blocks
• Israeli government officials would benefit from receiving military equipment without potential congressional opposition or conditions
• Biden administration officials would benefit from maintaining foreign policy flexibility without legislative constraints

The missing context also includes the legal framework that allows such emergency determinations - these weren't necessarily illegal actions but rather uses of existing executive powers that bypass normal legislative oversight processes.

3. Potential misinformation/bias in the original statement

The original question "Did Biden bypass congress" is overly broad and lacks specificity, which could lead to misleading interpretations. While technically accurate, the phrasing suggests this might be unusual or unprecedented behavior, when emergency determinations for weapons sales are established legal procedures available to administrations.

The question also fails to distinguish between different types of congressional bypasses - emergency weapons sales versus surveillance program extensions represent different legal authorities and contexts ^{[1] [2] [4]}.

Some sources in the analysis appear to conflate this topic with unrelated conspiracy theories about Biden's 2024 election withdrawal ^{[5] [6]}, which could introduce bias by mixing factual policy actions with speculative political narratives.