Statement on Signing the Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2009
Issued 2009-06-24 by Barack Obama
Plain-English Overview
AI-generated summary explaining what this action does, who it affects, and why it matters
On June 24, 2009, President Obama signed the Supplemental Appropriations Act of 2009 into law and issued a statement explaining the legislation. The act provides funding for multiple purposes: supporting U.S. military operations as the country works to end the war in Iraq, fighting terrorist networks in Afghanistan, and preparing the nation to respond to a potential continued outbreak of H1N1 pandemic flu. The President thanked members of Congress for supporting the bill.
This action affects American troops serving overseas, as well as the general American public through pandemic preparedness funding. The legislation provides the financial resources necessary to support these military and public health operations.
The constitutional debate around this action concerns not the law itself, but the practice of issuing signing statements when presidents sign bills. Some legal experts argue these statements can be problematic if presidents use them to suggest they won't enforce parts of a law, while others view them as a legitimate way for presidents to express their interpretation of legislation. The constitutional propriety of any particular signing statement depends on whether it announces an intent not to enforce provisions or simply records the president's views.
AI-generated summary for educational purposes
Constitutional Analysis
How this action fits (or doesn't) within Article II authority and existing law
This signing statement ("Statement on Signing the Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2009") was issued alongside a bill the President signed into law. Signing statements allow presidents to express constitutional or policy objections to specific provisions of legislation they have just signed. Their legal weight and constitutional propriety have been contested since the practice became common in the 1980s.
Critics — including the American Bar Association — argue that using signing statements to announce an intent to not enforce portions of a law effectively creates a line-item veto, which the Supreme Court ruled unconstitutional in Clinton v. City of New York (1998). Defenders argue presidents have a duty to identify constitutional concerns and that signing statements are a legitimate form of executive interpretation. The constitutional propriety depends on whether this specific statement announces non-enforcement or merely records the President's views.
Official Summary
Administration of Barack H. Obama, 2009 Statement on Signing the Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2009 June 24, 2009 I want to thank the Members of Congress who put politics aside and stood up to support a bill that will provide for the safety of our troops and the American people. This legislation will make available the funding necessary to bring the war in Iraq to a responsible end, defeat terrorist networks in Afghanistan, and further prepare our Nation in the event of a continued outbreak of the H1N1 pandemic flu. N OTE : H.R. 2346, approved June 24, was assigned Public Law No. 111–32. Categories: Bill Signings and Vetoes : Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2009, statement. Subjects: Armed Forces, U.S. : Funding; Diseases : Global influenza outbreak; Legislation, enacted : Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2009. DCPD Number: DCPD200900501.