Why have Federal Agencies ignored 30% of the laws passed in the last year?

Federal agencies ignored 30 percent of the laws Bush objected to in signing statements last year, according to a report released today by the Government Accountability Office. In 2006, President Bush issued signing statements for 11 out of the 12 appropriations bills passed by Congress, claiming a right to bypass a total of 160 provisions in them.

The White House cannot pick and choose which laws it follows and which it ignores. When a president signs a bill into law, the president signs the entire bill. The Administration cannot be in the business of cherry picking the laws it likes and the laws it doesn鈥檛. This GAO opinion underscores the fact that the Bush White House is constantly grabbing for more power, seeking to drive the people鈥檚 branch of government to the sidelines. We must continue to demand accountability and openness from this White House to counter this power grab.

Since taking office in 2001, President Bush has issued signing statements challenging over 1,100 laws, claiming that he has the right to bypass them if they interfere with his alleged presidential powers. Though signing statements have been utilized by most presidents, Bush has used them to object to more laws than all previous presidents combined.

Here are a few of the laws Bush has controversially issued signing statements about:
- In 2005, after Congress passed a law outlawing the torture of detainees, Bush issued a signing statement saying that he would 鈥渃onstrue [the law] in a manner consistent with the constitutional authority of the President . . . as Commander in Chief,鈥?which experts say means Bush believes he can waive the restrictions.
- In 2006, Congress passed a law requiring minimum qualifications for future heads of the Federal Emergency Management Administration in response to FEMA鈥檚 poor handling of Hurricane Katrina. When Bush signed the law, he issued a statement saying he could ignore the new restrictions and appoint a FEMA chief based on whatever qualifications he wanted.

they have no interest in protecting the United States. I am sure that industry lobbyists were concerned about a bottom line somewhere and a reckless lack of concern has charactized this pResident from his first stolen election.
These signing statements are impeachable offenses.
The other thing to keep in mind is how many key positions in federal agencies are politically under White House control.
Something is going to cause this administration to collapse like a house of cards.

LOL

How does this one make you look.

For 8 years under Clinton, Clinton's government ignored illegal immigrants and the businesses that hired them!!!!!!!

HAHAHAHAHAHAHA

I guess Clinton set the standard

Probably because 30% is the limit they can get away with without causing a big stir... they'd ignore them all if they could.

That's your president!!!

terrorists are not covered under the Geneva convention so we are allowed to do what ever it takes to extract information from them. and i personally think we should torture the hell out of them. why should they be allowed to torture and cut the heads off of our people and we doing nothing to them....

Because Dubya thinks the law doesn't apply to him.

I hope congress doesn't think they can pass unconscionable laws and people will blindly follow them.