[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 77 (Thursday, June 15, 2006)]
[House]
[Page H4014]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                          LINE-ITEM VETO BILL

  (Mr. UDALL of Colorado asked and was given permission to address the 
House for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. UDALL of Colorado. Mr. Speaker, as a cosponsor, I am glad the 
Budget Committee has approved H.R. 4890, the so-called line-item veto 
bill. H.R. 4890 is similar to the Ryan-Stenholm amendment to H.R. 4663 
from the 108th Congress. I say ``so-called'' because it does not have 
the constitutional defects that led the Supreme Court to strike down 
the line-item veto law passed in 1996.
  Instead, like legislation I introduced last year, it would simply 
enable the President to require Congress to vote on individual spending 
items or targeted tax breaks included in a larger bill signed into law. 
Congress would still make the ultimate decision on the basis of a 
majority vote. There would be no need for a two-thirds vote to override 
the President. This bill will not solve our budget problems, but it 
will promote greater transparency and accountability when it comes to 
taxing and spending. It deserves approval.

                          ____________________