Biden looks to project presidential power as campaign heats up

Declaring major new restrictions on border crossings. Canceling billions of additional dollars in student debt. Reclassifying marijuana as less dangerous. Declaring a climate emergency.

With six months to go before the election, President Biden is taking or mulling these and other unilateral actions, the latest sign that he plans to fully deploy his executive powers in the home stretch of the 2024 race. With Congress largely idle, activists, lawmakers, political strategists and White House aides are all angling to assess what the president can accomplish on his own in the coming months, and how to amplify the image of an active president for voters.