[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 163 (Wednesday, November 17, 1999)]
[House]
[Page H12112]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                    EXPEDITED RESCISSION LEGISLATION

  (Mr. STENHOLM asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. STENHOLM. Mr. Speaker, we have heard a lot of rhetoric, but no 
legislation from the other side of the aisle about protecting the 
Social Security surplus and eliminating wasteful spending, even though 
the appropriation bills passed by the majority would have spent $17 
billion of the Social Security Trust Fund before the final budget 
negotiations even began.
  I am introducing legislation today that will give the President the 
ability to help the majority put some reality behind their rhetoric. 
This legislation known as ``modified line-item veto,'' or expedited 
rescission, would strengthen the ability of Presidents to identify and 
eliminate low priority spending with the support of the majority in 
Congress.
  Under this bill, the President would be able to single out individual 
items in tax or spending legislation and send a rescission package to 
Congress which would then be required to vote up or down on the 
package.
  Senator John McCain and others have identified $13 billion of low-
priority or special-interest spending. Instead of subjecting these 
spending items to scrutiny, the majority has proposed an across-the-
board cut that treats good programs the same as low priority and 
wasteful spending.
  I urge my colleagues to join me by cosponsoring this legislation.

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