Bush Thinks He’s the Emperor
Adding to a long list of subversive signing statements, George W. Bush has taken the knees out from under recently passed postal legislation that requires a warrant to open mail. You'd think with his army of advisers and aides someone might explain to the president that when Congress passes a law, and he signs it, that's the law, not a prompt for interpretive rule.
Adding to a long list of subversive signing statements, George W. Bush has taken the knees out from under recently passed postal legislation that requires a warrant to open mail. You’d think with his army of advisers and aides someone might explain to the president that when Congress passes a law, and he signs it, that’s the law, not a prompt for interpretive rule.
Rooted in Truth.AP via the Los Angeles Times:
The law requires government agents to get warrants to open first-class letters.
But when he signed the postal act, Bush added a statement saying that his administration would construe that provision “in a manner consistent, to the maximum extent permissible, with the need to conduct searches in exigent circumstances….”
“The signing statement raises serious questions whether he is authorizing opening of mail contrary to the Constitution and to laws enacted by Congress,” said Ann Beeson, an attorney with the American Civil Liberties Union. “What is the purpose of the signing statement if it isn’t that?”
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