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What will happen to Mr. Biden and Mr.me Harris [et les autres importants élus démocrates] after the transfer of power in January? They are not in opposition like in Quebec. Do they find themselves unemployed or are they in the American civil service? Do outgoing elected officials benefit from their salaries and protections for a certain time after the transfer?
In modern American politics, a defeat in the race for the White House usually means the end of a political career.
The exception that proves the rule? Donald Trump, who, by winning the November 5 election, became the first to win two non-consecutive terms since Grover Cleveland in 1892.
Before Mr. Trump, we have to go back to Richard Nixon (beaten in 1960 by Kennedy, but elected in 1968) to see the loser of an election being chosen again by his party to defend his colors in a subsequent election.
Given the magnitude of Kamala Harris’ defeat, it would be surprising to see her retain the leadership of the Democratic Party, said Graham Dodds, professor of political science at Concordia University.
“If we list the last losing Democratic candidates, Al Gore, Hillary Clinton, John Kerry, all of them have disappeared from the scene. It’s probably the same thing that awaits Kamala Harris. »
“No obvious leader”
In the Canadian political system, the prime minister sits in the chamber, but in the United States, the president is not a member of the parliamentary branch. President Biden and Vice President Harris will find themselves without jobs on January 20, the day of Donald Trump’s inauguration, and the Democratic Party will find itself without a clear leader.
“It’s a problem with the American political system: there is no leader of the official opposition. When your party loses, you lose your leader,” explains Graham Dodds.
The defeats suffered by Democrats in the race for the Senate and, potentially, the House of Representatives will only increase the lack of clear leadership within the donkey party.
“There is no obvious leader in the Democratic camp at the moment,” argues Graham Dodds. It’s going to take a few years before we see new faces emerge, possibly at the state level, where governors like Gavin Newsom [Californie] or Gretchen Witmer [Michigan] could stand up to Trump. »
In the meantime, Joe Biden will continue to exercise his functions as president until the inauguration of Donald Trump. Presidents in their situation are sometimes described as “lame ducks” because their legitimacy, and therefore their powers, is diminished.
Despite everything, Mr. Biden will continue to oversee the day-to-day management of the country’s affairs and may attempt to consolidate his political legacy by having certain projects adopted through presidential decrees. However, the chances that his successor will cancel them are strong.
The money of power… and after
The annual salary of the American president — paid by the Treasury, as for any federal employee — is $400,000, as decreed by Congress in 2001. The president is also entitled to an expense allowance of $50,000 “to assist him in covering expenses related to or resulting from the performance of his official duties”, $19,000 for entertainment expenses and $100,000 $ for travel expenses.
He also benefits from free accommodation (the White House) for him and his family during his term and free transportation aboard the presidential limousine and the plane. Air Force One.
Anecdotally, several particularly well-off presidents have chosen to forgo all remuneration, donating their salaries to the state or to charitable organizations. This is the case of Donald Trump, John F. Kennedy and Herbert Hoover.
The vice-president’s salary is periodically indexed to the cost of living. It currently stands at $284,600.
M. Biden et Mme Harris will receive their salary until their last day in office.
Since 1958 and the adoption of the Former Presidents Act, former presidents have been entitled to a lifetime pension from the federal government. It currently stands at $246,424, according to the National Taxpayers Union Foundation. The outgoing president can also, from among the employees who have served in his government, select a certain number who will also receive a lifetime pension, worth up to $96,000 per year.
Former presidents are also entitled to Secret Service protection for the remainder of their lives, an office paid for and furnished by the General Services Administration in a location of their choosing anywhere in the United States, and travel compensation amounting to $1 million annually.
The vice president, who presides over the Senate, is also entitled to a pension in the same way as former members of Congress.
Tradition dictates that ex-presidents renounce any elected position. The last one to try his luck? Andrew Johnson, Lincoln’s successor, elected to the Senate in… 1875.
Among other presidents who continued to build their resumes after leaving the White House, the most notable is William Taft, who, uniquely in history, served as chief justice of the Supreme Court after his only presidential term .
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