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February 11, 2012

Our View: Senate should OK line item veto

The Free Press

In a rare bipartisan effort, the U.S. House of Representatives voted last week to approve a line-item veto for the president. We hope the U.S. Senate also gives its approval and the president signs it.

The objections to the bill are predicated on process issues – Rep. Steny Hoyer said he felt the bill “diminished the authority of the Congress.” That’s kind of the point, according to the bill’s co-author Rep. Paul Ryan. “Washington spends too much money on programs that can’t be justified.”

 Past presidents of both parties have sought a presidential line-item veto over appropriations bills. Congress has been reluctant to give any president such power fearing he would veto special-interest drafted legislation favoring certain powerful lawmakers or putting curbs on pork barrel projects.

Rep. Peter Welch, a Democrat from Vermont and co-sponsor of the bill, said, “As congressional gridlock prevents a comprehensive approach to reducing the federal debt, this bipartisan bill is a no-brainer.”

Fears that a president could use the veto power to punish members of Congress could be allayed by the provision in this bill that reserve’s Congress’ right to overturn the president’s recommendation. Frankly, that’s a good move, since then lawmakers would have to justify their items being considered.

This is a great tool for any president to have and its added feature of transparency is icing on the cake. President Obama has indicted he would sign it. It just needs to pass muster with the Senate, where there is great danger it could be stalled with some House-passed jobs bills.

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