[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 37, Number 48 (Monday, December 3, 2001)]
[Pages 1714-1715]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Statement on Signing the Departments of Veterans Affairs and Housing and 
Urban Development, and Independent Agencies Appropriations Act, 2002

November 26, 2001

    Today I have signed into law H.R. 2620, the ``Departments of 
Veterans Affairs and Housing and Urban Development, and Independent 
Agencies Appropriations Act, 2002.''
    I appreciate the bipartisan effort that has gone into producing this 
Act. The Act abides by the agreed upon aggregate funding level for 
Fiscal Year 2002 of $686 billion and supports several of my 
Administration's key initiatives with:
 <bullet>    $955 million for the Veterans Affairs Duty to Assist 
            initiative to improve performance in claims processing and 
            assist veterans with their claims;
 <bullet>    $160 million for the National Science Foundation Math and 
            Science Partnerships initiative, which provides funds for 
            States to join with institutions of higher education in 
            strengthening math and science education in grades K-12; and
 <bullet>    $50 million for the Housing and Urban Development Down 
            Payment Assistance initiative that assists low-income 
            families with the down payment on their first home.
    Several additional initiatives I have proposed were worthy of 
funding but are not part of this bill: the Community Technology Centers 
and Improving Access programs in HUD, the Silver Scholarships and 
Veterans Mission for Youth programs under the Corporation for National 
and Community Service, and the VA/DOD Medical Care Choice initiative.
    The Silver Scholarship Program would have provided Silver 
Scholarships to 10,000 older Americans who volunteer 500 hours of 
service tutoring and mentoring students in after-school programs. Each 
$1,000 scholarship could be deposited in an education savings account 
for use by seniors' children,

[[Page 1715]]

grandchildren, or another child. The Veterans Mission for Youth program 
would have provided matching grants to community organizations that 
connect veterans and retired military personnel with America's youth 
through mentoring, tutoring, after-school, and other programs.
    The VA/DoD Medical Care Choice initiative would ensure that all 
military retirees annually choose either the Department of Defense or 
the Department of Veterans Affairs as their health care provider. This 
would enhance quality and continuity of care and prevent duplication of 
services and costs.
    Several provisions in the Act purport to require congressional 
approval before executive branch execution of aspects of the bill. My 
Administration will interpret such provisions to require notification 
only, since any other interpretation would contradict the Supreme Court 
ruling in INS v. Chadha.
                                                George W. Bush
 The White House,
 November 26, 2001.

 Note: H.R. 2620, approved November 26, was assigned Public Law No. 107-
73.