Firm veto threats defend Bush ideals

Washington Times ^ | Wednesday, June 8, 2005 | By James G. Lakely

[JohnHuang2]

THE WASHINGTON TIMES

Of President Bush's nearly 50 threats to Congress about vetoing legislation, only 17 contained explicit language that the president "will" wield his veto pen. Nearly all of those "will veto" warnings were for legislation involving what Mr. Bush has called "the culture of life," such as the stem-cell research bill that passed the House this month, suggesting the president may soon break his historically perfect veto-free record. In Mr. Bush's first term, his Office of Management and Budget issued 41 "Statements of Administration Policy" to Congress that expressed displeasure with legislation that might reach his desk and used the attention-getting word "veto," several of them containing multiple warnings. Most of those threats, however, were couched in language informing Congress that senior White House aides would "recommend" a veto -- mostly because of concerns about how Congress was divvying out money to various government agencies.