Line Item Veto Set To Pass
Breitbart Is Reporting:
Bush Urges Senate to Pass Line-Item Veto
WASHINGTON
President Bush, urging the Senate to pass the line-item veto, on Tuesday criticized House Democrats who didn't back the measure even though they've called for federal spending restraint.
A line-item veto would allow the president to cut certain provisions in spending bills without vetoing the entire measure. The House passed such legislation last week 247-172. Thirty-five Democrats joined with most Republicans in voting for the bill.
"I was disappointed, frankly, though that more Democrats didn't vote for the bill, especially those that are calling for fiscal discipline in Washington, D.C.," Bush said in a speech to members of the Manhattan Institute, a conservative think tank based in New York. "I mean, you can't call for fiscal discipline on the one hand and then not pass a tool to enhance fiscal discipline on the other hand. You can't have it both ways, it seems like to me."
The bill faces an uncertain future in the Senate. Democrats generally oppose the measure, and not all Republicans are excited about the idea. "We need to set politics aside" and pass a line-item veto, Bush said about the measure that the GOP embraces as a way to demonstrate election-year resolve to rein in federal spending.
Lawmakers from both parties who have reservations about the line-item veto contend it would shift too much power to the president, allowing him to try to cut projects proposed by his political enemies, or to use the threat of cutting projects in exchange for favorable votes on legislation the White House desires.
The bill that passed the House is a watered-down version of a more sweeping law that the Supreme Court struck down in 1998, saying it took too much spending authority away from Congress. Bush said the new legislation would meet the court's constitutional requirements.
The new version would let the president try to kill individual items contained in spending or tax bills that he otherwise signs into law. Congress would be required to vote on those specific items again. A simple majority in both the House and the Senate could override the president's objections.
"When the president sees an earmark or a spending provision that is wasteful or unnecessary, he can send it back to the Congress," Bush said. "And Congress is then required to hold a prompt up-or-down vote on whether to retain the targeted spending. In other words, the Congress is still in the process."
Earlier, Bush met with senators at the White House to discuss the line-item veto. The group included Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, R-Tenn., and Sens. Judd Gregg, R-N.H., Thad Cochran, R-Miss., Susan M. Collins, R-Maine, Kit Bond, R-Mo., John McCain, R-Ariz., and Ben Nelson, D-Neb.
Nelson said he told the president that he used the line-item veto to rein in irresponsible spending when he was governor of Nebraska. "It works," said Nelson, governor from 1991 to 1999.
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I sure hope this passes. President Bush has been held hostage to all these bills that have gone before his desk because within those bills are things he needs for the Country, The War on Terror, and other things. Now if this passes, he will be able to cut the pork out of whatever bill he needs to and start using some Line Item Veto Power. PASS THIS BILL!!!
Bush Urges Senate to Pass Line-Item Veto
WASHINGTON
President Bush, urging the Senate to pass the line-item veto, on Tuesday criticized House Democrats who didn't back the measure even though they've called for federal spending restraint.
A line-item veto would allow the president to cut certain provisions in spending bills without vetoing the entire measure. The House passed such legislation last week 247-172. Thirty-five Democrats joined with most Republicans in voting for the bill.
"I was disappointed, frankly, though that more Democrats didn't vote for the bill, especially those that are calling for fiscal discipline in Washington, D.C.," Bush said in a speech to members of the Manhattan Institute, a conservative think tank based in New York. "I mean, you can't call for fiscal discipline on the one hand and then not pass a tool to enhance fiscal discipline on the other hand. You can't have it both ways, it seems like to me."
The bill faces an uncertain future in the Senate. Democrats generally oppose the measure, and not all Republicans are excited about the idea. "We need to set politics aside" and pass a line-item veto, Bush said about the measure that the GOP embraces as a way to demonstrate election-year resolve to rein in federal spending.
Lawmakers from both parties who have reservations about the line-item veto contend it would shift too much power to the president, allowing him to try to cut projects proposed by his political enemies, or to use the threat of cutting projects in exchange for favorable votes on legislation the White House desires.
The bill that passed the House is a watered-down version of a more sweeping law that the Supreme Court struck down in 1998, saying it took too much spending authority away from Congress. Bush said the new legislation would meet the court's constitutional requirements.
The new version would let the president try to kill individual items contained in spending or tax bills that he otherwise signs into law. Congress would be required to vote on those specific items again. A simple majority in both the House and the Senate could override the president's objections.
"When the president sees an earmark or a spending provision that is wasteful or unnecessary, he can send it back to the Congress," Bush said. "And Congress is then required to hold a prompt up-or-down vote on whether to retain the targeted spending. In other words, the Congress is still in the process."
Earlier, Bush met with senators at the White House to discuss the line-item veto. The group included Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, R-Tenn., and Sens. Judd Gregg, R-N.H., Thad Cochran, R-Miss., Susan M. Collins, R-Maine, Kit Bond, R-Mo., John McCain, R-Ariz., and Ben Nelson, D-Neb.
Nelson said he told the president that he used the line-item veto to rein in irresponsible spending when he was governor of Nebraska. "It works," said Nelson, governor from 1991 to 1999.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I sure hope this passes. President Bush has been held hostage to all these bills that have gone before his desk because within those bills are things he needs for the Country, The War on Terror, and other things. Now if this passes, he will be able to cut the pork out of whatever bill he needs to and start using some Line Item Veto Power. PASS THIS BILL!!!
posted by Marie's Two Cents | 10:01 AM
2 Comments:
I dont understand alot of this i gues i am to youngh, but it sounds like this is good for the country i dont know why the president wasnt allowed to do this all the along
Sick,
Good question.
I do believe it was President Clinton that got rid of the "Line Item Veto", but with it re-instated President Bush doesnt have to be held hostage to every single bill that comes across his desk now.
You see in order for President Bush to ever get anything he wanted he had to pass "The Entire Bill" that's why he has never vetoed a bill yet.
But now if this passes, he can pick what he want's out of the bill and send the rest back to congress! In other words he will be able to cut out the "Pork"
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