What is a signing statement?
A signing statement is a written comment a president issues when signing a bill. It can describe how the executive branch will interpret the law. It does not change the bill text.
The Library of Congress guide to signing statements explains their purpose. A signed law remains law regardless of the accompanying statement.
What can a signing statement say?
Presidents use signing statements to comment on a new law. A statement can:
- Explain an interpretation. The president can describe what the law’s language means to the administration.
- Raise constitutional objections. The president can identify provisions that the administration believes conflict with the Constitution.
- Guide executive agencies. The president can explain how the executive branch intends to carry out the law.
A statement describes the president’s position. It does not establish that the president’s interpretation is legally correct.
Does a signing statement change the law?
No. A signing statement does not rewrite or cancel provisions of the law. The Congressional Research Service report on signing statements explains that the statements have no independent legal force.
The practical question is how the executive branch acts on the statement. An administration’s decision about enforcement can create a legal dispute. The statement alone does not settle that dispute.
How does it differ from a veto?
A signing statement accompanies approval of a bill. A veto rejects a bill. A signing statement cannot remove selected provisions while approving the rest.
Congress does not hold a veto override vote for a signing statement. The president has signed the bill into law, even if the statement objects to part of it.
Follow the votes before the signature
The House and Senate vote on legislation before it reaches the president. The bill-to-law guide explains that path. Your members’ recorded votes show whether they supported or opposed the bill.
Cappy Pillow sends vote alerts, not alerts for every signing statement.
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