Why is George Bushs use of presidential signing statements controversial?
A. Read Widely There is no simple way to summarize the concerns of scholars, lawyers, and members of Congress regarding George Bush’s use of signing statements. Many have called the issue a constitutional crisis and believe that the Bush administration’s use of signing statements is recalibrating the balance of power among the three branches of the federal government, or laying the groundwork for Supreme Court precedent that could rewrite the law controlling the respective powers of the three branches. The best way to learn about this issue is to read; thus, the links below. B. Core Concepts and Short Civics Lesson for Laypersons But before you launch into the links below, be aware of an idea that continually surfaces in the writings to date. The idea is that President Bush is using signing statements to expand presidential power at Congress’s expense. Our government has three branches. The Legislature’s primary powers are to enact laws, and to control and disburse federal dollars. The
