H.R. 5993: Presidential Signing Statements Act of 2008

110th Congress · introduced 2008-05-08 · Law · Latest: Referred to the Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights, and Civil Liberties.

federal

Follow this bill, step by step

Where it came from: introduced 2008-05-08 · official record
Who proposed it: Rep. Jones, Walter B., Jr. [R-NC-3] · what a sponsor is
What happened next: no floor votes in our records yet. Why?
Where it stands now: Referred to the Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights, and Civil Liberties. Not final yet: this can still change. We check for updates every day.
If it becomes law and spends money: follow the money to money laws, then agencies and contracts and grants.

What does this mean?

Official title

Presidential Signing Statements Act of 2008

Plain summary

Presidential Signing Statements Act of 2008 - Requires the President to transmit to the Speaker of the House of Representatives, the chairmen of the House and Senate Committees on the Judiciary, and to the Senate Majority Leader each signing statement that declares or insinuates the President's intention to disregard provisions of any bill he has signed into law because he believes it is unconstitutional. Requires the Attorney General, Deputy Attorney General, or White House Counsel to testify before such congressional committees at the behest of any single Member of either committee to explain the meaning and justification of every presidential signing statement covered by this Act. Prohibits executive privilege from being recognized as a valid basis for refusing to appear or refusing to answer a question pertinent to the legal reasoning behind a signing statement or its legal ramifications. Bars authorization or expenditure of federal funds to implement any law accompanied by a presidential signing statement noncompliant with this Act.

Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in House), quoted unchanged (nonpartisan). Read the source.

What a vote does

A “Yea” vote

If it passes both chambers and is signed, it becomes law.

A “Nay” vote

If it is not passed, current law stays as it is.

PSI Sci description of the legislative step (not an opinion).

What does this mean? (plain words)

Official text

Presidential Signing Statements Act of 2008

Source: Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in House)

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The strongest published arguments

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Alternatives

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How did my representative vote? · This bill's floor votes

Officials and money

Sponsor: Rep. Jones, Walter B., Jr. [R-NC-3] · 0 cosponsors

Cost estimate: No cost estimate published yet.

No linked floor roll calls in our collected records yet. This does not mean the bill has never had a vote. Check the official bill history.

Words on this page, explained (2)

Authorization: A law that creates or continues a government program and says what it may do, often with a suggested spending ceiling. An authorization alone does not provide money; a separate appropriation does.
Bill: A proposed law. It becomes law only if it passes the legislature and is signed by the president or governor (or a veto is overridden).

Plain meanings written from linked sources. All words.

Sources

Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in House)
Congress.gov
Data: GovInfo BILLSTATUS bulk data (Library of Congress), BILLSTATUS-110hr5993.xml <https://www.govinfo.gov/bulkdata/BILLSTATUS/110/hr>

Record fed-us-cong110-hr5993 · catalog fed-us-congress-bills-cong110 · updated 2026-11-15 by psicol fed-bills-cong110