Statement on Signing the Prosecutorial Remedies and Other Tools To End the Exploitation of Children Today Act of 2003

Today I have signed into law S. 151, the "Prosecutorial Remedies and Other Tools to end the Exploitation of Children Today Act of 2003," also known as the PROTECT Act. This important legislation gives law enforcement authorities valuable new tools to deter, detect, investigate, prosecute, and punish crimes against America's children. In particular, the Act builds upon my Administration's ongoing efforts to expand and improve the AMBER Alert program to combat child abduction, strengthens laws against child pornography, and addresses deficiencies in Federal sentencing policies and practices.

The executive branch shall construe section 108(d)(3) of the Act, which calls for the Attorney General to submit recommendations to the Congress, in a manner consistent with the President's constitutional authority to submit for the consideration of the Congress such measures as the President judges necessary and expedient.

Section 401(l)(2) of the Act calls for a report to certain committees of the Congress by the Attorney General concerning prosecutorial actions, including the basis on which the Solicitor General decides, in particular cases involving departures from sentencing guidelines, whether or not to authorize an appeal. Were this provision to take effect, the executive branch would implement it in a manner consistent with the President's constitutional authority to withhold information the disclosure of which could impair the deliberative processes of the Executive or the performance of the Executive's constitutional duties.

GEORGE W. BUSH

The White House, April 30, 2003.