[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 42, Number 25 (Monday, June 26, 2006)]
[Page 1213]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Statement on House of Representatives Action on the ``Legislative Line 
Item Veto Act of 2006''

June 22, 2006

    I commend Members of the House who voted today in support of the 
Legislative Line Item Veto Act of 2006. I also applaud the House 
Republican leadership, Congressman Paul Ryan and Congressman Mark Udall, 
for successfully steering this bill to passage. Controlling the Federal 
appetite for spending and protecting taxpayer dollars are shared 
responsibilities of the legislative and executive branches and require a 
bipartisan approach. I appreciate those Democrats who have supported the 
line-item veto in the past and did so again today. The line-item veto is 
a critical tool that will help rein in wasteful spending and bring 
greater transparency to the budget process.
    Forty-three Governors have a line-item veto, and we need similar 
authority at the Federal level to control spending. Working with 
Congress, this tool can be used to help reduce the budget deficit and 
discourage the practice of earmarking Federal funds for projects that 
are wasteful, duplicative, or unnecessary. I urge the Senate to also 
pass the line-item veto legislation, so Congress and my administration 
can begin using this important tool to help enforce fiscal discipline.

Note: The statement referred to H.R. 4890.