Topic: Signing Statements

An analysis of presidential signing statements reveals that President Obama has used them extensively to bypass legislative intent, despite past criticisms of the practice. Specifically, his signing statement for the 2013 National Defense Authorization Act is cited as a means to maintain authority over Guantanamo Bay detainees. The hosts argue these statements function as a "line-item veto" that allows the executive branch to ignore parts of the law it dislikes.