A Question: Once a health reform bill is on Obama's desk, what can he do with a signing statement?

[Avalux]

This is a serious question - I don't know the answer. I do know that Bush had signing statement diarrhea and was able to tack on all kinds of stuff to bills he signed; even change them considerably.

So what changes could Obama make to a health reform bill w/a weak public option - could he make it stronger, open it up to more people with a signing statement?


:shrug: :hi:

[Catshrink]

1. Good question.

Bush and his signing statements were obscene.

[Cleita]

2. Actually, he can threaten to veto it and send it back to Congress to make

the changes that will make him willing to sign the bill. However, I don't think he sees anything wrong with the bills as they are.

:shrug:

[Avalux]

3. I don't think he does either and I'm aware he can veto.

I just want to know to what extent can he change the bill with a signing statement if he chooses. :hi:

[Avalux]

4. Anyone else?? n/t

[Are_grits_groceries]

6. Bush did just about anything.

<snip>
Bush is the first president in modern history who has never vetoed a bill, giving Congress no chance to override his judgments. Instead, he has signed every bill that reached his desk, often inviting the legislation's sponsors to signing ceremonies at which he lavishes praise upon their work.

Then, after the media and the lawmakers have left the White House, Bush quietly files ''signing statements" -- official documents in which a president lays out his legal interpretation of a bill for the federal bureaucracy to follow when implementing the new law. The statements are recorded in the federal register.

In his signing statements, Bush has repeatedly asserted that the Constitution gives him the right to ignore numerous sections of the bills -- sometimes including provisions that were the subject of negotiations with Congress in order to get lawmakers to pass the bill. He has appended such statements to more than one of every 10 bills he has signed.
<snip>
http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2006/04/30/bush_challenges_hundreds_of_laws/

This article gives a good idea what he did. He thumbed his nose at Congress repeatedly.

here's a list of Bush's signing statements:
http://www.coherentbabble.com/listGWBall.htm

[Avalux]

9. Yes, Bush was definitely The Decider > n/t

[Joanne98]

5. I was thinking the same thing.

[Kdillard]

7. I don't think I would like it if Obama thumbed his nose at Congress so brazenly

as Bush did with signing statements..

[Avalux]

8. I wouldn't want him to either as Bush did. But the question is still there in this particular case.

If it help the American people, I'd be OK with it.

[ellenfl]

10. he wouldn't necessarily be thumbing his nose. most of our

presidents have used signing statements, just not to the extent that dumbya did. i believe that the signing statements allow the president to not abide by something in the bill but not to add anything to it. that's my take, anyway.

ellen fl

[Clio the Leo]

11. I would be EXTREMLY surprised if he issued a signing statement to this....

.... not after going WAY out of his way to let Congress legislate the bill.

I Googled really quickly to see what statements he'd issued before and I found...

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/06/27/obama-issues-statement-on_n_221821.html

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/federal-eye/2009/03/obamas_signing_statement_and_f.html

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/03/10/MNS016C7MU.DTL

Anything is possible though I guess.

[MadMaddie]

12. That's a great question!!

This would be the time to use it...