WASHINGTON, DC – After the Trump Administration issued a 15-page signing statement to the John S. McCain National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2019, signaling that the President may try to ignore key Russia-related provisions of the defense bill, U.S. Senator Jack Reed (D-RI), the Ranking Member of the Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC), issued the following statement:

“Even as he signed the John S. McCain National Defense Authorization Act, President Trump issued a statement claiming the authority to ignore the will of Congress and selectively interpret key provisions of the bill, particularly those that relate to Russia. 

“While previous Administrations have issued signing statements, the sweeping breadth and scope of the President’s caveats to the NDAA are unprecedented and disturbing.  It reflects an overly expansive view of the President’s executive powers at the expense of Congress’s role as a co-equal branch of government. 

“In addition, President Trump declared his intention to invoke executive privilege and national security to withhold information from Congress, information that Congress needs to perform its Constitutional oversight responsibilities and to hold the Administration accountable to the American people. 

“Finally, the President’s claims regarding his authority to set foreign policy unilaterally threaten to undermine key security relationships in Europe, the Indo-Pacific region, and elsewhere.  Through the NDAA, Congress has taken the lead in reassuring our allies and partners regarding the U.S. commitment to their sovereignty and security and to the international order.  In implementing this key legislation for our military, President Trump needs to work with Congress to ensure that U.S. national security interests and American values are maintained. 

“The John S. McCain National Defense Authorization Act passed with 87 votes in the U.S. Senate and was overwhelmingly approved in the House.  Signing statements are sometimes used by Presidents to signal their dislikes about sections of a bill, but President Trump can’t ignore the law.  If he seeks to unilaterally recognize Russian sovereignty over Crimea or fails to abide by other sections of the law, he must be held accountable.”