    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2003, Book II)]
    [July 14, 2003]
    [Page 873]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Statement on Signing Legislation To Provide Bill Emerson and Mickey
    Leland Hunger Fellowships
    July 14, 2003

        Today I am signing into law H.R. 2474, which would permit the
    Congressional Hunger Center to spend up to $3 million in funds
    appropriated for each of fiscal years 2003 and 2004 to provide Bill
    Emerson and Mickey Leland Hunger Fellowships.
        Upon signing the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 on
    May 13, 2002, I stated that the method of appointing members to the
    Board of Trustees for the Hunger Fellowship Program runs afoul of the
    Appointments Clause of the Constitution. The current legislation does
    not adequately address this constitutional problem, in that it simply
    provides that the Hunger Fellowship Program will be administered for 2
    years by a private, nonprofit corporation, the Congressional Hunger
    Center. Again, I remain prepared to work with the Congress on
    legislation that will provide a long-term solution for this
    constitutional infirmity. To avoid any constitutional concerns stemming
    from the provision of funds to the Congressional Hunger Center, I
    instruct the head of the department to whose agency these funds are
    appropriated to treat the money as a grant and ensure the Center's
    compliance with the terms of its grant.

                                                              George W. Bush

     The White House,

     July 14, 2003.

    Note: H.R. 2474, approved July 14, was assigned Public Law No. 108-58.
    An original was not available for verification of the content of this
    statement.