[Infowarrior] - ABA Approves Resolution Condemning Signing Statement Abuse

[Richard Forno]

Lawyers' Group Attacks Bush Revisions
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/us/AP-Lawyers-Bush.html?pagewanted=print

Filed at 10:56 p.m. ET

HONOLULU (AP) -- The American Bar Association on Tuesday approved a
resolution condemning President Bush's practice of writing exceptions to
legislation he signs into law.

Delegates, representing 410,000 members, at the ABA's annual meeting
approved the resolution objecting to any president using bill signing
statements as a way of diluting or changing laws rather than using an
outright veto.

Bush has vetoed only one bill, on stem cell research, but written exceptions
to some 800 legislative provisions, more than all previous presidents
combined.

The Bush statements say the president reserves the right to revise,
interpret or disregard measures on national security and constitutional
grounds.

''The constitution says the president has two choices: either sign the bill
or veto it. And if you sign it, you can't have your hand behind your back
with your fingers crossed,'' said Michael Greco, the ABA's outgoing
president.

A call Tuesday to the White House was not immediately returned.

The bar delegates urged Congress to require the president to promptly submit
copies of any signing statements, along with a report giving the legal basis
for his objections.

The resolution also proposes that Congress create a system allowing courts
to review any claim by the president that he has the authority to disregard
or decline to enforce a law he signs or interpret the law in a different way
than Congress had intended.

Sen. Arlen Specter, R-Pa., submitted a bill last month seeking to ensure
that signing statements aren't used to rewrite legislation or veto parts of
bills.