[Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2004, Book III)]
[December 17, 2004]
[Pages 3118-3120]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]



Statement on Signing the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention 
Act of 2004
December 17, 2004

    Today, I have signed into law S. 2845, the ``Intelligence Reform and 
Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004'' (the ``Act''). The Act strengthens 
the intelligence and counterterrorism capabilities of the United States, 
including by appropriate implementation of the recommendations in the 
Report of the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United 
States, often called the 9/11 Commission.
    Many provisions of the Act deal with the conduct of United States 
intelligence activities and the defense of the Nation, which are two of 
the most important functions

[[Page 3119]]

of the Presidency. The executive branch shall construe the Act, 
including amendments made by the Act, in a manner consistent with the 
constitutional authority of the President to conduct the Nation's 
foreign relations, as Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces, and to 
supervise the unitary executive branch, which encompass the authority to 
conduct intelligence operations.
    The executive branch shall construe provisions in the Act that 
mandate submission of information to the Congress, entities within or 
outside the executive branch, or the public, in a manner consistent with 
the President's constitutional authority to supervise the unitary 
executive branch and to withhold information that could impair foreign 
relations, national security, the deliberative processes of the 
Executive, or the performance of the Executive's constitutional duties. 
Such provisions include sections 1022, 1061, 3001(f)(4), 5201, 5403(e), 
and 8403, and sections 101A(f) and 102A(c)(7) of the National Security 
Act of 1947 as amended by sections 1011 and 1031, section 703(b), 704, 
and 706(f) of the Public Interest Declassification Act of 2000 as 
amended by section 1102, section 601 of the Foreign Intelligence 
Surveillance Act of 1978 as amended by section 6002, section 207 of the 
Afghan Freedom Support Act of 2002 as amended by section 7104, section 
112(b) of title 1, United States Code, as amended by section 7120, and 
section 878 of the Homeland Security Act as amended by section 7407.
    To the extent that provisions of the Act purport to require or 
regulate submission by executive branch officials of legislative 
recommendations to the Congress, the executive branch shall construe 
such provisions in a manner consistent with the President's 
constitutional authority to supervise the unitary executive branch and 
to submit for congressional consideration such measures as the President 
judges necessary and expedient. Such provisions include sections 1094, 
1095, 4012(b), 4019, 5201, 6303, 6403, 7119, 7208, 7213, 7502, 7802, 
7803, and 8403(c), section 119B(g) of the National Security Act of 1947 
as amended by section 1023, and section 44925 of title 49, United States 
Code, as amended by section 4013. To the extent that provisions of the 
Act, including section 3001(g) and section 102A(e) of the National 
Security Act of 1947 as amended by section 1011, purport to require 
consultation with the Congress as a condition to execution of the law, 
the executive branch shall construe such provision as calling for, but 
not mandating, such consultation.
    Several provisions of the Act, including Title III and section 7601, 
purport to regulate access to classified national security information. 
The Supreme Court of the United States has stated that the President's 
authority to classify and control access to information bearing on 
national security flows from the Constitution and does not depend upon a 
legislative grant of authority. The executive branch shall construe such 
provisions in a manner consistent with the Constitution's commitment to 
the President of the executive power, the power to conduct the Nation's 
foreign affairs, and the authority as Commander in Chief.
    The executive branch shall construe as advisory provisions of the 
Act that purport to regulate the means by which the President obtains 
recommendations or information from subordinates in the executive 
branch, as is consistent with the constitutional commitment to the 
President of authority to supervise the unitary executive branch and to 
require the opinions of principal officers of executive departments. 
Such provisions include sections 103A(a), 103B(d), 106, 119(h), and 101A 
of the National Security Act of 1947, as amended by sections 1011, 1014, 
1021, and 1031 of the Act.
    The executive branch shall construe as advisory provisions of the 
Act that purport to require the conduct of negotiations with a foreign 
government or otherwise direct

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or burden the President's conduct of foreign relations, including 
sections 4026, 4072(c)(2), 5301 to the extent it involves foreign 
diplomats and other foreign officials, 7116, 7204, 7210, 7217, 7303(c), 
and 7703, and sections 104(d) and 206(d)(1) of the Afghanistan Freedom 
Support Act as amended by section 7104. Further, the executive branch 
shall construe section 6(j)(5) of the Export Administration Act of 1979 
as amended by section 7102(c) of the Act, to identify a non-exclusive 
factor for the Secretary of State to consider in his discretion in 
making determinations under subsection 6(j), as is consistent with the 
use of the non-exclusive term ``include'' in the provision and the 
congressional decision reflected in the text of the statute to afford 
the President substantial latitude in implementation of the provision.
    The executive branch shall construe provisions of the Act that 
relate to race, ethnicity, or gender in a manner consistent with the 
requirement that the Federal Government afford equal protection of the 
laws under the Due Process Clause of the Fifth Amendment to the 
Constitution.

                                                          George W. Bush

 The White House,

 December 17, 2004.

Note: S. 2845, approved December 17, was assigned Public Law No. 108-
458. An original was not available for verification of the content of 
this statement.