[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 30 (Wednesday, February 15, 1995)]
[House]
[Page H1764]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


                           THE LINE-ITEM VETO

  (Mrs. MALONEY asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute.)
  Mrs. MALONEY. Mr. Speaker, I do not make a habit of defending the 
Contract With America.
  But when this House passed the line-item veto last Monday night, 
important language from the contract was not included. And that is bad 
news for the American taxpayer. The bill gives the President broad 
power to veto any spending provision. But the bill's authors gave the 
President very narrow authority to veto tax benefits or tax loopholes 
for special interests. This excludes the vast majority of tax breaks--
worth hundreds of billions.
  The Contract With America said the President should be able to veto 
any tax benefit. My Republican colleagues breached their contract by 
voting against a version of the bill containing the contract's exact 
language. Apparently, they dislike tax loopholes for special interests 
only when they are the minority party.
  Mr. Speaker, let us remember another pearl of wisdom from the 
Contract With America. It says, ``If we break this contract, throw us 
out!''


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