The expansion of presidential powers by the Bush administration came under strong criticism on Tuesday from Democratic senators, who during a Senate hearing accused George W. Bush of “making unprecedented claims for unchecked power”.

Senator Arlen Specter, chairman of the Senate judiciary committee, who has been at the forefront of raising questions on presidential power, held hearings on Tuesday for the first time on the use of presidential “signing statements”. These attachments to the bill contain instructions on how the executive branch intends to carry out legislation, and often provide a way for the executive to ignore congressional intent.