Presidential Signing Statements

This video originally aired on Monday, July 24, 2006.

About This Video

Michael Greco, President of the American Bar Association, discusses the findings of the Task Force on Presidential Signing Statements and the Separation of Powers Doctrine. In a related clip, U.S. Attorney General Alberto Gonzales discusses how the administration views the use of presidential signing statements as a way to respect the effort spent in creating the legislation while expressing reservations about particular pieces/lines in the bills.

Discussion Questions

  1. Who makes up the American Bar Association Task Force on Presidential Signing Statements and what is their finding regarding President Bush's use of signing statements?
  2. What is a presidential signing statement? How have they been used historically, and how have more recent presidents used them? How does the number of signing statements President Bush has issued compare to that of former presidents?
  3. Article II, Section 3 of the US Constitution states that the President “shall take care that the laws be faithfully executed.” To what extent might it be argued that signing statements are an attempt to do that? Are presidential signing statements a way for presidents to dispute legislation without actually vetoing it?
  4. Why might a president use a signing statement rather than a veto? Should there be any limitations on what a presidential signing statement can say? Or how it should be interpreted? Is the executive branch’s interpretation of a law a violation of the separation of powers as outlined in the Constitution?

Keywords

President, Roles and Responsibilities, Separation of Powers, U.S. CONSTITUTION, Veto

Related Subjects/Topics

  • The President
  • Separation of Powers

Speakers

  • Alberto Gonzales
  • Michael Greco
    American Bar Association