Let the Signing Statement Investigation Begin

House Judiciary Committee Chairman John Conyers has launched an investigation into President Bush's use of signing statements. Signing statements have been used to voice disapproval with a bill a president signs. Bush has been using the signing statements to override law. On March 9, 2006, Bush signed that the Justice Department would turn over how the FBI was using the Patriot Act. Bush issued this signing statement.

The president can order Justice Department officials to withhold any information from Congress if he decides it could impair national security or executive branch operations.

Bush has used the signing statements to override over 1,100 laws. No president has come close to issuing as many signing statements. There is a constitutional concern. Bush's use of signing statements directly conflicts with Article I Section 7.

Every Bill which shall have passed the House of Representatives and the Senate, shall, before it become a Law, be presented to the President of the United States: If he approve he shall sign it, but if not he shall return it...

Short answer: the president has to take an entire as it is. Bush has the constitutional duty to enforce the bill. He does not have the power to ignore certain passages. Bill Clinton had the line-item veto. The Supreme Court declared line item vetoes unconstitutional in Clinton v. New York. Bush has the option of vetoing a bill he doesn't like. For some unknown reason a passionately signs bills he lobbied against. He has no one but himself to blame for bills that become law.