Purse Snatching Revisited
Many months ago, I surmised that the only way Congress would finally stand up to the President's increasing encroachments on their authority would be when he clipped the strings dangling from the legislative handbag.
Well it looks like Bush is getting his scissors ready.
From Air Force Times:
The article goes on to quote Senator Carl Levin as saying that he "would not be surprised" if Bush ignored the provision because he has done it before. And the real kicker is that Bush may be in the right to refuse the request.
Now of course Congress can still vote down any supplemental spending bills that the President sends their way. And while this outcome is unlikely (even under a Democratic majority), I wonder how Bush would react should it actually occur?
Perhaps he'll shout "I'm the Decider!" and run off with the cash. Too bad we Americans will be the ones holding an empty bag.
Well it looks like Bush is getting his scissors ready.
From Air Force Times:
Congress said it wants next year's defense budget to include funding for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, but President Bush has indicated he may ignore that request.
In a "signing statement" released when he signed the 2007 Defense Authorization Act on Oct. 17, the president listed two dozen provisions in the act that he indicated he may or may not abide by.
Among the provisions is Section 1008 of the Authorization Act, which requires the president to submit defense budgets for 2008 and beyond that include funding for the wars and contain "a detailed justification of the funds requested."
The article goes on to quote Senator Carl Levin as saying that he "would not be surprised" if Bush ignored the provision because he has done it before. And the real kicker is that Bush may be in the right to refuse the request.
Some constitutional scholars say Bush may be on solid legal ground if he refuses to send Congress a defense budget that includes war funding, a congressional staffer said. The scholars argue that the Constitution does not give Congress the authority to tell the president what to request or how to request it.
Now of course Congress can still vote down any supplemental spending bills that the President sends their way. And while this outcome is unlikely (even under a Democratic majority), I wonder how Bush would react should it actually occur?
Perhaps he'll shout "I'm the Decider!" and run off with the cash. Too bad we Americans will be the ones holding an empty bag.
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