[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 40, Number 49 (Monday, December 6, 2004)]
[Page 2886]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Statement on Signing the Veterans Health Programs Improvement Act of 
2004

November 30, 2004

    Today, I have signed into law H.R. 3936, the ``Veterans Health 
Programs Improvement Act of 2004.'' The Act is designed to strengthen 
the management and administration of health care facilities and programs 
for our Nation's veterans.
    Section 414(e)(4)(D) of the Act requires the Secretary of Veterans 
Affairs (Secretary) to include, in a written notice of a mission change 
for any of several departmental medical facilities, an analysis of any 
alternatives to the mission change proposed by the Department of 
Veterans Affairs. The executive branch shall construe this provision in 
a manner consistent with the President's constitutional authority to 
supervise the unitary executive branch and to withhold information the 
disclosure of which could impair the deliberative processes of the 
Executive or the performance of the Executive's constitutional duties.
    Section 501(c) of the Act purports to require the Secretary to 
submit to the Congress recommendations for changes in law in certain 
circumstances. The executive branch shall implement this provision in a 
manner consistent with the President's constitutional authority to 
supervise the unitary executive branch and to recommend for the 
consideration of the Congress such measures as the President judges 
necessary and expedient.
                                                George W. Bush
 The White House,
 November 30, 2004.

Note: H.R. 3936, approved November 30, was assigned Public Law No. 108-
422. This statement was released by the Office of the Press Secretary on 
December 1. An original was not available for verification of the 
content of this statement.