Signing Statements Erode Constitutional Balance

July 12, 2007

Signing Statements Erode Constitutional Balance

Rep. Ron Paul / Texas Straight Talk:
Recently, the General Accounting Office studied nineteen instances where the President issued so-called "signing statements." In such statements, the President essentially begins the process of interpreting legislation – up to and including declaring provisions unconstitutional—hence often refusing to enforce them. The GAO study found that in nearly 1/3 of the cases studied, the administration failed to enforce the law as enacted. This approach is especially worrisome for several reasons.