[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 38, Number 48 (Monday, December 2, 2002)]
[Pages 2102-2103]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Statement on Signing the Intelligence Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 
2003

November 27, 2002

    Today I have signed into law H.R. 4628, the ``Intelligence 
Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2003,'' which authorizes 
appropriations to fund United States intelligence activities, including 
activities essential to success in the war against global terrorism. 
This Act also establishes the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks 
Upon the United States to examine and report on the facts and causes 
relating to the September 11th terrorist attacks. The Commission will 
build upon the work of the congressional joint inquiries to carefully 
examine the circumstances surrounding the attacks and the lessons to be 
learned from them. I expect that the Commission's final report will 
contain important recommendations for steps that can be taken to improve 
our preparedness for and response to terrorist attacks in the future.
    The executive branch shall implement sections 325, 334, and 826 of 
the Act, and section 8H(g)(1)(A) of the Inspector General Act of 1978 as 
enacted by section 825 of the Act, relating to submission of 
recommendations to the Congress, in a manner consistent with the 
President's constitutional authority to supervise the unitary executive 
branch.
    Many provisions of the Act, including section 342 and title VIII, 
establish new requirements for the executive branch to disclose 
sensitive information. As I have noted in signing last year's 
Intelligence Authorization Act and other similar legislation, the 
executive branch shall construe such provisions in a manner consistent 
with the President's constitutional authority to withhold information 
the disclosure of which could impair foreign

[[Page 2103]]

relations, the national security, the deliberative processes of the 
Executive, or the performance of the Executive's constitutional duties.
    The executive branch shall construe subsections 501(d) and (e), 
relating to the number and activities of military personnel deployed 
abroad, in a manner consistent with the President's constitutional 
authority as Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces.
                                                George W. Bush
 The White House,
 November 27, 2002.

Note: H.R. 4628, approved November 27, was assigned Public Law No. 107-
306.