The Bush Veto History & Hiding Behind Signing Statements

The Bush Veto History & Hiding Behind Signing Statements

George Bush has exercised only two veto’s at this point in his two term administration. The first was his July 2006 veto of a bill which would lift funding restrictions on embryonic stem cell research. The second veto occurred this week of the $124 Billion wear funding bill which also would order troop withdrawal from Iraq by October. Only two vetoes is a unique feat given the history of presidential vetoes. Mr. Bush’s father, for example, vetoed 44 bills in one term of office. Bill Clinton vetoed 37 bills in eight years and Veto Ronald Regan voted 78 bills. Only seven presidents in U.S. history have not used the veto and none were presidents this century.

So why has this president not used his veto power? It certainly isn’t because he is intimidated about using the veto. When he was governor of Texas he vetoed 97 bills. There are two primary reasons for his record setting failure to exercise his veto power. The first is that he has had no need to use it. With a Republican controlled Congress who danced to the White House tune there was nothing he was motivated to veto. The other reason is that his key strategist, Karl Rove, advised against using the veto because it could alienate important interests, cause controversy and it could be avoided with a political trick – the abuse of the right of issuing signing statements.

A signing statement is intened to be one issued by a president to point out issues regarding the law the president has just signed or which gives guidance to agencies who are responsible for carrying out the newly signed law. The Constitution gives a president only two options: sign the bill into law and be bound by his oath of office to comply with it or veto the bill. This president, however, has made it a practice to sign a bill and then turn around and issue a statement asserting he has the right to ignore or bypass the law even though he has just signed it. I’ve commented about this Bush Administration distortion and deception before. (See post 1/5/07). Mr. Bush is unique among past presidents in claiming he can sign a bill into law, but then refuse to follow it or interpret it any way he wishes. No such provision is found anywhere in the Constitution. His abuse of signing statements was never challeged by a Republican controled Congress in lock step with  administration policies. Among laws which he signed without veto, but in signing statements says he can by pass or interpret as he wishes, are affirmative action laws, whistle blower protections and safeguards against political interference in federally funded research.

Now that he no longer can count on Congress to back every action he takes, he has been forced to utilize the veto. It’s about time.

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