Raw Story
The top Republican on the Senate Judiciary Committee quietly reintroduced a bill before Congress recessed last week aimed at reigning in President Bush’s ability to modify laws to his whims, Roll Call reports. Critics and watchdog agencies say Bush’s use of signing statements allows him and federal agencies to ignore provisions of the law and Congress’s intent.
Pennsylvania Sen. Arlen Specter called President Bush’s abuse of the signing statements an “unconstitutional attempt to usurp legislative authority.” He introduced his Presidential Signing Statements Act of 2007 on Friday, according to the Capitol Hill newspaper.
“The president cannot use a signing statement to rewrite the words of a statute nor can he use a signing statement to selectively nullify those provisions he does not like,” Roll Call reported Specter said on the floor of the Senate.
(Original Article)