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Press Release

For Immediate Release
Contact: Sean Bonyun
202-225-3761
March 18, 2009

Upton: We Must Restore Line-Item Veto to Cut Record Deficits & Wasteful Spending
In face of record deficits, bill would give President the authority to slash wasteful spending and special-interest tax breaks while preserving Congress’ power of the purse

WASHINGTON, DC – In the face of unprecedented spending and debt projections, Congressman Fred Upton (R-St. Joseph) has co-authored the bipartisan Congressional Accountability and Line-Item Veto Act, H.R. 1294, to provide the President of the United States with the power of the line-item veto.  Under this long overdue legislation, the President would have the authority to single out individual pork-barrel spending items in legislation that arrives on his desk for signature and send these specific line items back to Congress for a timely up-or-down vote on whether to rescind these spending provisions. Likewise, the President would be able to request the rescission of narrowly targeted special-interest tax breaks. 

“As we are confronted with reckless spending and deficits of epic proportions, we have an urgent need for the line-item veto to rein in wasteful spending,” said Upton.  “It makes no sense that 43 states provide their governors the power of the line-item veto, including Michigan, to help trim excessive spending, yet we do not provide that power to the President.  While the previous line-item legislation was struck down by the Supreme Court, this bill will pass the constitutionality test.  We are long overdue in restoring this tool to the President to trim wasteful spending.  This initiative will help bring greater transparency, accountability and common-sense restraint to the federal budget process, lessening the burden of debt that will saddle future generations.”

Unlike the version of the line-item veto that was struck down by the U.S. Supreme Court in 1998, the legislative line-item veto is constitutional because it requires congressional approval of all the President’s proposed rescissions.  In contrast to the President’s current rescission authority, which Congress can choose to ignore, the legislative line-item veto will ensure that Congress votes on the President’s rescission request within 14 legislative days after receiving the request. This expedited timeframe will make the legislative line-item veto a useful tool for controlling spending, while shining light on the spending process and subjecting questionable items to a vote on their own merits – apart from larger legislation.

“While I have always worked to ensure that my spending requests such as the widening of I-94 and dredging of St. Joe Harbor have a significant impact upon southwest Michigan’s economy, I’m afraid some members in the House and Senate are not as concerned with out of control spending,” said Upton.  “This measure will give the President the authority he needs to ensure the days of the ‘Bridge to Nowhere’ are a thing of the past, once and for all.”      

Constitutions in 43 states allow for some form of the line-item veto, usually restricted to appropriations bills.  Ten states allow the governor to reduce amounts as well as eliminate them, and seven states provide the governor an “amendatory” veto power, allowing them to return a bill with specific recommended changes.

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