June 28, 2006

WORTHWHILE TRIVIA:

Bush Calls on Senate to Pass Line-Item Veto (Peter Baker, June 28, 2006, Washington Post)

President Bush pushed the Senate yesterday to give him and his successors the power to strip special projects out of spending bills, part of a broader political effort to assuage disaffected supporters that he really is a fiscal conservative despite the growth of government on his watch.

The president summoned key senators to the White House and later gave a speech promoting a line-item veto to fight earmarks, or spending requests that members of Congress slip into larger bills without going through the normal budget process. The House has passed one version of the proposal and another is waiting for a vote on the Senate floor.

Bush said he needs the power to have more influence over lawmakers as they spend taxpayer money. "I want to be a part of the budgetary process," he said in an address sponsored by the Manhattan Institute for Policy Research. "It's an important part of the president's working with Congress and I'm not going to deal myself out of the budgetary process."


If Congress were serious about curtailing spending it would just restore Gramm-Rudman.

Posted by Orrin Judd at June 28, 2006 10:10 AM
Comments

For once I must agree with OJ. I have recently been persuaded that he's correct, a line item veto isn't going to be much help and moreover, could well prove pernicious by circumventing real reform. Praising Congress for abdicating it's responsibility just won't work.

Posted by: Annoying Old Guy at June 28, 2006 10:17 AM

This reminds me of an earlier discussion about the division of powers. Here the Executive is pushing for more power, forcing the Legislature to decide if it will give up power or fix the problem.

Posted by: Jay at June 28, 2006 10:22 AM

OJ: I assume your point is that Congress is not serious, rather than that reinstalling Gramm-Rudman would be a good idea.

Posted by: David Cohen at June 28, 2006 12:26 PM

They certainly aren't serious. Any artificial discipline is a good idea, but it doesn't matter much in the long run.

Posted by: oj at June 28, 2006 12:32 PM

Gramm-Rudman was a disaster, giving us such gifts as the election of Bill Clinton.

Posted by: David Cohen at June 28, 2006 1:34 PM

Clinton was a good president, though GHWB II would have been better.

Posted by: oj at June 28, 2006 2:59 PM
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