Rhetoric & Public Affairs

George W. Bush has issued hundreds of "signing statements" objecting to select provisions of legislation that he has nonetheless signed into law. While signing statements have been used by previous presidents, President Bush's signing statements are unique in their volume, their frequent lack of specificity, and the breadth of the power that they claim for the executive branch. His statements undermine the deliberative exchange between the president and the Congress mandated for traditional veto messages and sustained in most signing statements prior to the 43rd presidency. In doing so, they imperil the prospect for effective legislative oversight, particularly in areas related to national security and, by extension, the Iraq war.