[Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George H. W. Bush (1992-1993, Book II)]
[October 6, 1992]
[Page 1765]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]



Statement on Signing the Foreign Operations, Export Financing, and 
Related Programs Appropriations Act, 1993
October 6, 1992

    I am signing into law H.R. 5368, the ``Foreign Operations, Export 
Financing, and Related Programs Appropriations Act, 1993.'' The Act 
provides funding for bilateral and multilateral foreign assistance, 
international security assistance, and for programs in the Department of 
State, the Agency for International Development, the Peace Corps, the 
Export-Import Bank, and several smaller agencies.
    I am pleased that the Act provides authority and funding for several 
high priority programs including: loan guarantees for Israel; an 
increase in the U.S. quota for the International Monetary Fund; 
bilateral assistance to the former republics of the Soviet Union; 
appropriations for the Enterprise for the Americas Initiative; and 
appropriations for international security programs including Turkey, 
Greece, and Portugal.
    Several provisions of the Act purport to require, or to forbid, 
certain international negotiations by the United States or the adoption 
by the United States of certain positions in international institutions 
or negotiations. Under our constitutional system, however, the President 
alone is responsible for such negotiations, and the Congress may not 
decide which negotiations the President will undertake or what position 
the United States will adopt. Similarly, provisions directing the 
placement of United States diplomatic personnel abroad intrude upon the 
President's authority for the conduct of international relations. Nor 
may the Congress condition the availability of funds on the President's 
surrendering his discretion in these areas. I will, therefore, treat all 
such provisions as purely precatory.
    I retain the same concerns about section 565, prohibiting certain 
dealings with foreign governments and other persons, that I have 
expressed in signing previous appropriations acts.
    Finally, I note that the various reporting requirements of this Act 
would have to be construed in light of the President's authority to 
protect against the disclosure of state secrets and national security 
information.

                                                             George Bush

The White House,
October 6, 1992.

                    Note: H.R. 5368, approved October 6, was assigned 
                        Public Law No. 102-391.