WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama issued a memo Monday instructing executive-branch officials to ignore the previous administration’s signing statements, which are written assertions presidents sometimes make when signing bills that raise constitutional questions.
At the same time, Obama cited the guidelines he would follow in issuing his own signing statements. He signaled that he would not use them to do end runs around Congress.
According to one count, President George W. Bush issued 161 signing statements in which he cast doubt on more than 1,000 provisions in legislation and essentially stated his intention to ignore those parts of the law.
President Bill Clinton issued significantly more signing statements, but Bush was more aggressive in making claims the legislation in question would undermine presidential authority.
Bush’s signing statements were viewed by many critics, Republican and Democratic alike, as an attempt to expand the scope of presidential power. Bush didn’t publicize them.
Obama’s memo was a renunciation of such use.
Obama acknowledged, however, that a president could legitimately use signing statements. He said he would work with Congress to limit the number of times he would use such statements and would specify his particular objections to a piece of legislation to ensure greater transparency.
