Signing Statement Watch - Bush rejects minimum experience to lead FEMA

[ck4829]

"Lawmakers from both parties criticized President Bush on Friday for saying he won't comply with a homeland security law that sets minimum qualifications for future directors of the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

The law requires the president to nominate a FEMA director with "a demonstrated ability in and knowledge of emergency management" and "not less than five years of executive leadership." The qualifications are included in a spending bill the president signed into law Wednesday and aimed at the federal government's ineffective response to Hurricane Katrina.

That response was initially overseen by FEMA director Michael Brown, who had only limited experience in emergency management before coming to the agency in 2001, initially as the agency's attorney before being named by Bush as its top official in 2003.

In his signing statement, Bush said he also won't comply with a provision in the homeland security spending bill that authorizes the FEMA director to inform Congress about the nation's emergency management needs without first getting permission from the White House. The president has used signing statements much more than any of his predecessors to signal his intention to ignore provisions of laws he considers unconstitutional, or an infringement on executive authority."

http://www.nola.com/news/t-p/frontpage/index.ssf?/base/news-6/1160206764253020.xml&coll=1

And here I am thinking that it was the job of the Courts to interpret the Constitutionality of laws.

[originalpckelly]

1. That is really in the best interest of national security...

and it would be really very unconstitutional for the Congress to create standards for appointees.

[ck4829]

3. It is also in the best interest of national security to ensure that...

We don't have another Mike Brown, no?

[soothsayer]

4. I think Brownie might have been ok. Chertoff is the one who wouldn't

act.

[Ian David]

2. Bush's policies seem to be directed by the editorial staff of The Onion.nt

[napi21]

5. Does the world's most famous idiot really TRY to look bad?

Doesn't he realize that the actions of those YOU CHOOSE for lead positions rflect back directly on HIM?

[Catshrink]

6. No...

his actions reflect back on the Clenis, doncha know?

[msongs]

7. thanks for endorsing the criminal behavior of the tyrant, Bush...

the consitution of the US says the president has 2 choices, implement congressional law as written, or veto those laws.

signing statements have NO validity whatsoever except as a statement of opinion. Acting on them is illegal for the president, even though some people at DU seem to think otherwise.

Msongs
www.msongs.com/political-shirts.htm

PS - if you can find the part of the constitution that says the President can use signing statement to ignore laws passed by congress, let me know where you found it.

[indepat]

8. See how wrong we all are: in the real world the decider decides all

[BrklynLiberal]

9. What POSSIBLE justification could Dimson have for this?