4:55 p.m. EST December 18, 2014  WASHINGTON — The White House acknowledged Thursday that President Obama has assertively exercised executive action in areas where Congress has not acted, but also said the president was accurate when he said he has issued fewer executive orders than his predecessors.

Obama has issued fewer executive orders than any president in a century. But he's also signed far more presidential memoranda, a lesser-known tool often used to initiate a change in federal regulations..

"There's no doubt that the president has sought to use his executive authority to move this country forward within the confines of the law, often times in the face of congressional inaction" Press Secretary Josh Earnest said. "That I wouldn't disagree with."

He said the president has used "has used every tool at his disposal" to do take action.

Earnest was responding to questions about Obama's use of presidential memoranda after USA TODAY reported Wednesday that he had signed more of those executive actions than any president in history. Obama and his aides have previously said he had issued fewer executive orders than any president in 100 years, but did not include presidential memoranda in that total.

WASHINGTON — The White House acknowledged Thursday that President Obama has assertively exercised executive action in areas where Congress has not acted, but also said the president was accurate when he said he has issued fewer executive orders than his predecessors.

Obama has issued fewer executive orders than any president in a century. But he's also signed far more presidential memoranda, a lesser-known tool often used to initiate a change in federal regulations..

"There's no doubt that the president has sought to use his executive authority to move this country forward within the confines of the law, often times in the face of congressional inaction" Press Secretary Josh Earnest said. "That I wouldn't disagree with."

He said the president has used "has used every tool at his disposal" to do take action.

Earnest was responding to questions about Obama's use of presidential memoranda after USA TODAY reported Wednesday that he had signed more of those executive actions than any president in history. Obama and his aides have previously said he had issued fewer executive orders than any president in 100 years, but did not include presidential memoranda in that total.