[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 23 (Monday, February 6, 1995)]
[House]
[Page H1222]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


 URGING CONGRESS TO DO JUSTICE TO RONALD REAGAN'S BIRTHDAY AND PASS A 
                         STRONG LINE-ITEM VETO

  (Mr. ROTH asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. ROTH. Mr. Speaker, I want to join all of our colleagues this 
afternoon who have endorsed the line-item veto and are going to be 
voting for it today. I think it is important to recall the exact words 
of President Reagan when he was here January 21, 1988, and asked the 
House to do that. He said:

       Let's help ensure our future prosperity by giving the 
     President a tool that, though I will not get to use it, is 
     one I know future Presidents of either party must have.
       Give the President the same authority that 43 Governors use 
     in their States: The right to reach into massive 
     appropriation bills, pare away the waste, and enforce budget 
     discipline. Let's approve the line-item veto.

  Today we are going to carry that through on the President's wishes. 
Mr. Speaker, the line-item veto is an invaluable instrument in the 
arsenal to cut Government spending, and an absolute necessity to give 
the Congress the discipline we need to change the spending culture in 
Washington.
  I applaud my colleagues for putting forth the hard work and finally 
bringing us to the line-item veto which we will face today.

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