Thread: Specter Prepping Bill to Sue Bush

Specter Prepping Bill to Sue Bush
- By LAURIE KELLMAN, Associated Press Writer
Monday, July 24, 2006

(07-24) 16:20 PDT WASHINGTON (AP) --

A powerful Republican committee chairman who has led the fight against President Bush's signing statements said Monday he would have a bill ready by the end of the week allowing Congress to sue him in federal court.

"We will submit legislation to the United States Senate which will...authorize the Congress to undertake judicial review of those signing statements with the view to having the president's acts declared unconstitutional," Judiciary Committee Chairman Arlen Specter, R-Pa., said on the Senate floor.

Specter's announcement came the same day that an American Bar Association task force concluded that by attaching conditions to legislation, the president has sidestepped his constitutional duty to either sign a bill, veto it, or take no action.

Bush has issued at least 750 signing statements during his presidency, reserving the right to revise, interpret or disregard laws on national security and constitutional grounds.

"That non-veto hamstrings Congress because Congress cannot respond to a signing statement," said ABA president Michael Greco. The practice, he added "is harming the separation of powers."

Bush has challenged about 750 statutes passed by Congress, according to numbers compiled by Specter's committee. The ABA estimated Bush has issued signing statements on more than 800 statutes, more than all other presidents combined.

Signing statements have been used by presidents, typically for such purposes as instructing agencies how to execute new laws.

But many of Bush's signing statements serve notice that he believes parts of bills he is signing are unconstitutional or might violate national security.

Still, the White House said signing statements are not intended to allow the administration to ignore the law.

"A great many of those signing statements may have little statements about questions about constitutionality," said White House spokesman Tony Snow. "It never says, 'We're not going to enact the law.'"

Specter's announcement intensifies his challenge of the administration's use of executive power on a number of policy matters. Of particular interest to him are two signing statements challenging the provisions of the USA Patriot Act renewal, which he wrote, and legislation banning the use of torture on detainees.

Bush is not without congressional allies on the matter. Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, a former judge, has said that signing statements are nothing more than expressions of presidential opinion that carry no legal weight because federal courts are unlikely to consider them when deciding cases that challenge the same laws.

http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f ... 052D20.DTL

Care to guess what kind of "signing statements" Bush will use if he ever gets an immigration bill to sign?

CountFloyd,

I'm sure it will involve a welcome mat.

Dixie

This is a very nice post !

It is good this is coming out before he gets an immigration bill to sign. Yep, this is good news. This pres has to be stopped, he's out of control and thinks he is too powerful.

Do you really trust anything from Specter? Think! This is nothing more than Good cop Bad cop! Come on you guys! You are smarter than this!

Originally Posted by ohflyingone

Do you really trust anything from Specter? Think! This is nothing more than Good cop Bad cop! Come on you guys! You are smarter than this!

Oh, yeah, you're right. Specter can't be trusted.

The ABA estimated Bush has issued signing statements on more than 800 statutes, more than all other presidents combined.

These signing statements by Bush are considered by many to be a abomination of the foundation of our democracy. Nothing new for Bush, he is an abomination of everything our country stands for, the rule of law, the right of the will of the people, the Oath of Office of the Presidency and most of all The Constitution. Bush will no doubt go down as the worst, most corrupt, most criminal, most disgraceful person to ever hold the office of the president.

I would trust someone like Tom Tancredo doing something like that, but the way Specter jumped in at the last minute during the Senate vote adding that little bit about the borders......naw............don't trust that turkey for anything.
I think he needs to go duck hunting with Cheney