Bush insists he has the power to alter DHS reports despite law

New York Daily News
Oct. 06, 2006

WASHINGTON - President Bush, again defying Congress, insisted he has the power to alter the Homeland Security Department's reports about whether it obeys privacy rules while handling background checks, ID cards and watch lists.

In the law Bush signed Wednesday, Congress stated no one but the privacy officer could alter, delay or prohibit the mandatory annual report on agency activities that affect privacy, including complaints.

But Bush, in a signing statement attached to the agency's 2007 spending bill, said he will interpret that section "in a manner consistent with the President's constitutional authority."

A White House spokeswoman said it's appropriate for the administration to know what reports go to Congress and to review them beforehand.

But privacy advocates have charged that Bush is trying to subvert lawmakers' ability to accurately monitor activities of the executive branch of government.

The American Bar Association and members of Congress also have said Bush uses signing statements excessively as a way to expand his power.

The Senate held hearings on the issue in June.

At the time, 110 statements challenged about 750 statutes passed by Congress, according to numbers combined from the White House and the Senate committee. They include documents revising or disregarding parts of legislation to ban torture of detainees and to renew the Patriot Act.