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Statement on Signing the Treasury, Postal Service and General Government Appropriations Act, 1992

October 28, 1991

Today I have signed into law H.R. 2622, the "Treasury, Postal Service and General Government Appropriations Act, 1992."

I am pleased that this Act provides significant funding increases for major Administration priorities, including modernization of tax processing systems in the Internal Revenue Service, drug interdiction activities in the United States Customs Service, and drug rehabilitation and treatment programs financed through the Office of National Drug Control Policy.

I commend the Congress for lowering postal rate subsidies for certain third-class mailers who use nonstandard envelopes that cost more to process and deliver. I look forward to working with the Congress to continue our joint efforts to reform this program.

A number of provisions in the Act condition the President's authority, and the authority of affected executive branch officials, to use funds otherwise appropriated by this Act on the approval of various committees of the House of Representatives and the Senate. These provisions constitute legislative vetoes similar to those declared unconstitutional by the Supreme Court in INS v. Chadha. Accordingly, I will treat them as having no legal force or effect in this or any other legislation in which they appear.

In addition, title I of the Act contains several provisions that limit the ability of the Office of Management and Budget to perform certain review functions (e.g., the prohibition on using funds for review of agricultural marketing orders). These provisions raise constitutional concerns because they impair the President's ability to supervise the executive branch.

Balancing the competing priorities of Government programs is a difficult task. I appreciate the efforts of the Congress in developing this Act. We will continue to work with the Congress to seek solutions to those concerns I have noted.

George Bush

The White House,

October 28, 1991.

Note: H.R. 2622, approved October 28, was assigned Public Law No. 102 - 141.

George Bush, Statement on Signing the Treasury, Postal Service and General Government Appropriations Act, 1992 Online by Gerhard Peters and John T. Woolley, The American Presidency Project https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/node/265983

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