[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 39, Number 51 (Monday, December 22, 2003)]
[Page 1795]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Statement on Signing the Syria Accountability and Lebanese Sovereignty 
Restoration Act of 2003

December 12, 2003

    Today, I have signed into law H.R. 1828, the ``Syria Accountability 
and Lebanese Sovereignty Restoration Act of 2003.'' The Act is intended 
to strengthen the ability of the United States to conduct an effective 
foreign policy.
    Section 5 of the Act purports to impose upon the President 
requirements to take certain actions against Syria unless the President 
either determines and certifies to the Congress that the Government of 
Syria has taken specific actions, or determines that it is in the 
national security interest of the United States to waive such 
requirements and reports the reasons for that determination to the 
Congress. A law cannot burden or infringe the President's exercise of a 
core constitutional power by attaching conditions precedent to the use 
of that power. The executive branch shall construe and implement section 
5 in a manner consistent with the President's constitutional authority 
to conduct the Nation's foreign affairs and as Commander in Chief, in 
particular with respect to the conduct of foreign diplomats in the 
United States, the conduct of United States diplomats abroad, and the 
exportation of items and provision of services necessary to the 
performance of official functions by United States Government personnel 
abroad.
    Section 6 of the Act requires an officer in the executive branch to 
furnish information to the Congress on various subjects involving Syria 
and terrorism. The executive branch shall construe section 6 in a manner 
consistent with the President's constitutional authority to withhold 
information the disclosure of which could impair foreign relations, 
national security, the deliberative processes of the Executive, or the 
performance of the Executive's constitutional duties.
    My approval of the Act does not constitute my adoption of the 
various statements of policy in the Act as U.S. foreign policy. Given 
the Constitution's commitment to the Presidency of the authority to 
conduct the Nation's foreign affairs, the executive branch shall 
construe such policy statements as advisory, giving them the due weight 
that comity between the legislative and executive branches should 
require, to the extent consistent with U.S. foreign policy.
                                                George W. Bush
 The White House,
 December 12, 2003.

Note: H.R. 1828, approved December 12, was assigned Public Law No. 108-
175. This item was not received in time for publication in the 
appropriate issue.