[E. Pluribus Unum]

"...the Vice President has authority to declassify anything that he himself classified."

https://fas.org/blogs/secrecy/2006/02/the_vice_presidents_declassifi/

[Signalman]

That is correct.

"The Vice President has authority to declassify anything that he himself classified. He also clearly has authority to declassify anything generated in the Office of the Vice President, which he supervises."

If any of these documents were NOT originally classified by Biden or the office of the VP, which is most likely the case, Biden had no authority to declassify them.

[Dave Wright]

If the Vice President was explicitly granted origination authority by the President to classify/declassify materials, the VP can exercise this based on his knowledge of the sources and methods of collection that must be protected.

This is extremely rare as most classifications are handled by the IC agencies that have been given original classification authority and, therefore, are the only ones who can subsequently declassify the documents. Since all authority originates with, and is vested in the Executive, the President can classify or declassify any material under his authority.

[sauropod]

bkmk

[stylin19a]

Pres. Bush E.O. 13292 was revoked by Pres. Obama E.O. 13526.
I didn’t look for the differences.

Looks like 13526 still says VP can classify. Looks like Declassify can be done by VP(and his successor) if it no longer meets “standards”:

Sec. 3.1.

Authority for Declassification. (a) Information shall be declassified as soon as it no longer meets the standards for classification under this order.

(b) Information shall be declassified or downgraded by:

(1) the official who authorized the original classification, if that official is still serving in the same position and has original classification authority;

(2) the originator’s current successor in function, if that individual has original classification authority;

(3) a supervisory official of either the originator or his or her successor in function, if the supervisory official has original classification authority; or

(4) officials delegated declassification authority in writing by the agency head or the senior agency official of the originating agency.

There are 14 additonal Presidential documents that refer to E.O. 13526. I didn’t check to see if VP can no longer declass.

https://www.federalregister.gov/agencies/executive-office-of-the-president