    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2006, Book II)]
    [July 11, 2006]
    [Pages 1384-1385]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Statement on Signing the Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation Act of
    2006
    July 11, 2006

        I have today signed into law H.R. 889, the ``Coast Guard and
    Maritime Transportation Act of 2006.'' The Act authorizes funding for
    and strengthens the ability of the United States Coast Guard to perform
    its missions.
        The executive branch shall construe the reference to the ``National
    Intelligence Director'' in section 309 of the Act, amending section
    70105(c) of title 46, United States Code, to be a reference to the
    position of Director of National Intelligence established by law (50
    U.S.C. 403(a)(1)).
        The executive branch shall construe section 408(c) of the Act, which
    purports to make consultation with a legislative agent a precondition to
    execution of the law, to call for but not mandate such consultation, as
    is consistent with the Constitution's provisions concerning the separate
    powers of the Congress to legislate and the President to execute the
    laws.
        Section 801 of the Act purports to require the Secretary of the
    department in which the Coast Guard is operating to work at the
    International Maritime Organization with foreign nations toward
    specified international objectives. The executive branch shall construe
    the provision to be advisory, as is consistent with the constitutional
    commitment to the President of responsibility for conducting the foreign
    relations of the United States, including the exclusive responsibility
    for formulating the position of the United States in international fora
    and conducting negotiations with foreign nations.

                                                              George W. Bush

    The White House,

    July 11, 2006.

    Note: H.R. 889, approved July 11, was assigned Public Law No. 109-241.

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