Where can I find federal legislation?

[SiouxChief]

Well, I assume the answer is the Library of Congress, but I have to confess that I’ve not had much luck using the search engine there.

Specifically, I’m trying to find out exactly which law was signed on December 23, 2004 that is referred to in an article on the Signing Statements made by Bush during his term. I’m trying to find the exact text of the law as well as the signing statement.

If you’re able to find the reference to the law, then I’d love some pointers on how you did it, so I can look up the rest should the need arise.

Oh, and I know this will never happen, but if you feel the need to express your hatred or unrequited love for Bush, please do so in another thread. I’m just looking for the facts.

[Sxyzzx]

This page at the Government Printing Office has chronological lists of all laws enacted during each Congress, including a note of the date it was enacted (i.e. signed by the President). The page for the 108th Congress lists several laws enacted on Dec 23, 2004.

[Fear_Itself]

H.R.4548 was signed on 12/23/04, and contains the following provision:

[Title V](Sec. 502) Allows funds designated for FY 2005 or 2006 for assistance to the Government of Colombia for counterdrug activities to be used: (1) to support a campaign against narcotics trafficking and against activities by organizations designated as terrorist organizations; and (2) to protect human health and welfare in emergency circumstances, including rescue operations.** Prohibits, under such authority, the participation of any U.S. Armed Forces personnel or U.S. civilian contractor employed by the Armed Forces in any combat operation in connection with such assistance, except for acting in self defense or during the course of search and rescue operations for U.S. citizens. **

I found nothing regarding the cap of troops in Colombia at 800, though it may be in another version of the bill.

[Ravenman]

The provision of law referenced in the article regarding troop caps appears in the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2005. Sorry, I can’t link to it (I get a temporary file error), but one can find it on thomas.loc.gov by searching for HR 4200 in the 108th Congress. Click on “Search previous Congresses,” tick the right box, search for HR 4200, and select “Public Print.”

The provision reads in part:

SEC. 1021. USE OF FUNDS FOR UNIFIED COUNTERDRUG AND COUNTERTERRORISM CAMPAIGN IN COLOMBIA.

  (a) AUTHORITY- (1) In fiscal years 2005 and 2006, funds available to the Department of Defense to provide assistance to the Government of Colombia may be used by the Secretary of Defense to support a unified campaign by the Government of Colombia against narcotics trafficking and against activities by organizations designated as terrorist organizations, such as the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), the National Liberation Army (ELN), and the United Self-Defense Forces of Colombia (AUC).

  (2) The authority to provide assistance for a campaign under this subsection includes authority to take actions to protect human health and welfare in emergency circumstances, including the undertaking of rescue operations.

  (b) APPLICABILITY OF CERTAIN LAWS AND LIMITATIONS- The use of funds pursuant to the authority in subsection (a) shall be subject to the following:

        (1) Sections 556, 567, and 568 of the Foreign Operations, Export Financing, and Related Programs Appropriations Act, 2002 (Public Law 107-115; 115 Stat. 2160, 2165, and 2166).

        (2) Section 8076 of the Department of Defense Appropriations Act, 2005 (Public Law 108-287; 118 Stat. 988).

  (c) NUMERICAL LIMITATION ON ASSIGNMENT OF UNITED STATES PERSONNEL- Notwithstanding section 3204(b) of the Emergency Supplemental Act, 2000 (Division B of Public Law 106-246; 114 Stat. 575), as amended by the Foreign Operations, Export Financing, and Related Programs Appropriations Act, 2002 (Public Law 107-115; 115 Stat. 2131), the number of United States personnel assigned to conduct activities in Colombia in connection with support of Plan Colombia under subsection (a) in fiscal years 2005 and 2006 shall be subject to the following limitations:

        (1) The number of United States military personnel assigned for temporary or permanent duty in Colombia in connection with support of Plan Colombia may not exceed 800.

        (2) The number of United States individual citizens retained as contractors in Colombia in connection with support of Plan Colombia who are funded by Federal funds may not exceed 600.

  (d) LIMITATION ON PARTICIPATION OF UNITED STATES PERSONNEL- No United States Armed Forces personnel, United States civilian employees, or United States civilian contractor personnel employed by the United States may participate in any combat operation in connection with assistance using funds pursuant to the authority in subsection (a), except for the purpose of acting in self defense or of rescuing any United States citizen, including any United States Armed Forces personnel, United States civilian employee, or civilian contractor employed by the United States.

  (e) RELATION TO OTHER AUTHORITY- The authority provided by subsection (a) is in addition to any other authority in law to provide assistance to the Government of Colombia.

Sorry about the length. Also, signing statements are available on the White House website. You can browse through them by going to the News Archive, selecting a month, and looking for the stories titled “Statement of the President upon signing HR1234,” or whatever. They are also available on GPO, but honestly the White House site is better if you know what date a bill was signed into law.

I hope that answers your questions.

[Ravenman]

Whoops, I forgot to link to the actual signing statement. Link. The press article had its dates messed up, the NDAA for FY2005 does indeed contain the limitation of 800 troops, and here’s the verbatim bit of the signing statement in question:

The executive branch shall construe section 1021, purporting to place restrictions on the use of the U.S. Armed Forces in certain operations, and sections 1092 and 1205, relating to captured personnel and to contractor support personnel, in a manner consistent with the President’s constitutional authority as Commander in Chief and to supervise the unitary executive branch.