President Bush has proposed a revision to an old law that would allow him to slim cut pork spending in federal expenditures by vetoing specific items within bills. The line-item veto - which already is used by forty-three governors - would allow the president to trim any unnecessary budgetary fat and then send the bill back to Congress to be voted on.
It is important to acknowledge that this measure is not a partisan one - and while it could give more power to the president, it is a power that has been pushed for by both Republicans and Democrats.
The reformed law is a modification to the line-item veto deemed unconstitutional during the Clinton presidency. It was disallowed two years after its implementation because it allowed the president to alter laws passed by Congress without further consent. The revised veto simply would highlight areas Bush might deem unnecessary to control fiscal output without trashing the bill altogether.
Although lawmakers and constitutional scholars might be wary of Bush's intent, the so-called earmark reform bill should be considered for its positive aspects. In his five years in office, Bush has yet to veto any legislation. Rather than assume that Bush will use this power against his political enemies, the public and Congress should support the president's possibility to refine legislation - especially considering that Congress would still re-examine the bill and put it to a vote. Also, it is imperative to note that if Bush is given such authority, his successor - Republican or Democrat - would have the same powers.
In fact, Democrats had pushed this version of the line-item veto in the 1990s and Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., pushed for it during his presidential campaign. Now that the shoe is on the other foot, members of the opposing party should recognize the bill for its apparently desired implications and not reject this possibility for much needed fiscal reform merely because Bush proposed it.
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Don't shoot the messenger on veto reform
