Obama: Don't Rely on Bush's Signing Statements

[CatWoman]

WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama has ordered a review of his predecessor's signing statements which often told officials how to implement laws, the Associated Press reports.

White House press secretary Robert Gibbs said Monday that Obama has sent memos to federal agencies directing them to review former President George W. Bush's signing statements.

When signing legislation, Bush often would use such statements to direct officials to ignore parts of the law he thought were incorrect or restricted the administration's constitutional powers.

Gibbs said presidents have used such statements to note potential problems and Obama planned to continue that practice. But Gibbs said Obama would not use those signing statements to completely disregard Congress' intent.

From the memo, obtained by the New York Times:

"In exercising my responsibility to determine whether a provision of an enrolled bill is unconstitutional, I will act with caution and restraint, based only on interpretations of the Constitution that are well-founded," Mr. Obama wrote in a memorandum to the heads of all departments and agencies in the executive branch.

...

In his memorandum, Mr. Obama wrote: "Particularly since omnibus bills have become prevalent, signing statements have often been used to ensure that concerns about the constitutionality of discrete statutory provisions do not require a veto of the entire legislation."

...

"To ensure that all signing statements previously issue are followed only when consistent with these principles, executive branch departments and agencies are directed to seek the advice of the Attorney General before relying on signing statements issued prior to the date of this memorandum as the basis for disregarding, or otherwise refusing to comply with , and provision of a statute," he wrote.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/03/09/obama-dont-rely-on-bushs_n_173152.html