Let's just say... for the sake of argument... that Obama used the Signing Statement...

[Duer 157099]

So what if the Senate and House managed to pass a watered-down, but acceptable to that handful of Pubs, just enough to get it passed.

Could, hypothetically, Obama add some sort of Signing Statement that would add back in some of the critical spending that they had to pull out in the name of compromise?

I'm not asking whether he would, or whether he should - just whether he could.

[Occam Bandage]

1. No. Signing statements don't really work that way.

They can--dubiously--be used to explain how the Executive branch will interpret certain mandates, terms, or phrases, or will explain how it will choose to enforce the bill. Basically, it's sort of like finding some wiggle room in the language of the bill, and explaining exactly what that wiggle room now means.

Bush abused the hell out of that, probably illegally. However, claiming that you intend to spend money that the Congress has specifically not granted is blatantly unConstitutional and dictatorial beyond anything Bush has done. It would be effectively declaring that Congress has no more than an advisory power on spending matters. No good.

[Duer 157099]

2. OK, thanks - I sort of suspected something along those lines n/t

[quakerboy]

6. Good answer

I have a followup, if I may. I knew that answer, but there is a lot about the stimulus and about signing statements that I do not know.

Could Obama decline to spend money that is allocated via signing statement or action?

Alternately, could he apply creative interpretations to allocated money.

Specifically, if they do add in the potential "defense" spending that has been mentioned in other ops, could he either decline to actually spend that portion, or could he find creative non military industrial complex ways of spending that? Or are the allocations too specific to allow the later and the Presidents Powers to limited to allow the first?

[FirstLight]

3. I was thinking about that - but what about Line item veto?

He could veto out the stupid tax cuts, so the bill has more meat in the stimulus area?

who the hell knows, maybe it's just too late for things to be helped

[frogcycle]

4. that would be great

if there WERE a line item veto...

[Warren Stupidity]

5. no

Only congress can provide funding.