[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 129 (Wednesday, September 24, 1997)]
[Senate]
[Pages S9893-S9894]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. ALLARD:
  S. 1214. A bill to amend the Line-Item Veto Act of 1996 to eliminate 
the requirement that a Federal budget deficit must exist in order for 
the President to use the line-item veto authority; to the Committee on 
the Budget and the Committee on Governmental Affairs, jointly, pursuant 
to the order of August 4, 1977, as modified by the order of April 11, 
1986, with instructions that if one committee reports, the other 
committee have 30 days to report or be discharged.


              legislation to strengthen the line-item veto

  Mr. ALLARD. Mr. President, today I am pleased to introduce 
legislation that will strengthen the recently enacted line-item veto.
  Currently, the line-item veto can only be exercised by the President

[[Page S9894]]

when there is a deficit. This legislation would eliminate that 
restriction and provide for line-item veto authority whether there is a 
deficit or a surplus.
  Mr. President, the purpose of the line-item veto should be to reduce 
wasteful Government programs, as well as reduce deficits.
  Last year the Congress approved legislation that granted the 
President line-item veto authority beginning in 1997. The Congress did 
this out of principle. Members did not wait to see which candidate won 
the election before deciding whether to grant the new authority, and in 
August history was made when President Clinton became the first 
President to exercise the line-item veto.
  While some Members of Congress may not agree with the specific 
provisions that the President selected to line-item veto, the important 
point is that any President should have this power as a check on narrow 
special interest spending and tax provisions. If Congress wishes to 
restore a vetoed provision it can do so with the requisite two-thirds 
vote.
  I have long been a supporter of line-item veto authority for the 
President. In my view it will serve as a powerful check on Congress' 
ability to load up bills with wasteful provisions.
  I think it is safe to say that the President's use of the line-item 
veto has created an environment in which narrow spending and tax 
provisions are going to be scrutinized much more carefully before they 
are loaded onto legislation.
  I recognize that there have been court challenges concerning the 
constitutionality of the statutory line-item veto. I believe that this 
authority is constitutional and I certainly hope that the Supreme Court 
comes down on that side. However, this issue is important enough that 
we should amend the Constitution if necessary. That is why earlier this 
year I introduced a line-item veto constitutional amendment.
  Today, however we should focus on the line-item veto that is before 
us and look for ways to improve that law. That is the purpose of this 
legislation.
  In the last several years our economy has been very healthy and tax 
revenues have come in at much higher levels than previously forecast. 
This has created a situation where we may actually see a budget surplus 
at some point in the next several years. Does this mean we should 
rescind the line-item veto authority we have given the President? Of 
course not, but that would be the result as the law was drafted in 
1996.
  My view is that the line-item veto should be used in both deficit and 
surplus times. While we may have some surplus years on the horizon, it 
is clear that without entitlement reform massive deficits will return 
just after the turn of the century. This means that we must be 
constantly working to eliminate wasteful Government programs. A line-
item veto is one way to help do that.
  Mr. President, I cast my vote for a permanent line-item veto. The 
President and Congress cannot afford to take a vacation from the battle 
against wasteful Government programs.
                                 ______