[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 39, Number 18 (Monday, May 5, 2003)]
[Page 504]
[Online from the Government Printing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Statement on Signing the Prosecutorial Remedies and Other Tools to end 
the Exploitation of Children Today Act of 2003

April 30, 2003

    Today I have signed into law S. 151, the ``Prosecutorial Remedies 
and Other Tools to end the Exploitation of Children Today Act of 2003,'' 
also known as the PROTECT Act. This important legislation gives law 
enforcement authorities valuable new tools to deter, detect, 
investigate, prosecute, and punish crimes against America's children. In 
particular, the Act builds upon my Administration's ongoing efforts to 
expand and improve the AMBER Alert program to combat child abduction, 
strengthens laws against child pornography, and addresses deficiencies 
in Federal sentencing policies and practices.
    The executive branch shall construe section 108(d)(3) of the Act, 
which calls for the Attorney General to submit recommendations to the 
Congress, in a manner consistent with the President's constitutional 
authority to submit for the consideration of the Congress such measures 
as the President judges necessary and expedient.
    Section 401(l)(2) of the Act calls for a report to certain 
committees of the Congress by the Attorney General concerning 
prosecutorial actions, including the basis on which the Solicitor 
General decides, in particular cases involving departures from 
sentencing guidelines, whether or not to authorize an appeal. Were this 
provision to take effect, the executive branch would implement it in a 
manner consistent with the President's constitutional authority to 
withhold information the disclosure of which could impair the 
deliberative processes of the Executive or the performance of the 
Executive's constitutional duties.
                                                George W. Bush
 The White House,
 April 30, 2003.

Note: S. 151, approved April 30, was assigned Public Law No. 108-21.