EXPLANATION: The Line-Item Veto bill would allow the President to veto specific items of appropriations, tax, and spending bills. The President's appropriations cuts would take effect unless 2/3 of both the Senate and the House voted to overturn the President's appropriations cuts. The intent of the Line-Item Veto bill is to allow the President to have the power to eliminate individual "pork barrel" spending items in appropriations bill without having to veto the entire appropriations bill.

RELEVANT COMMITTEES: This bill, proposing a to give the President the power of the line-item veto, was referred to the Senate Committee on the Budget, the Senate Committee on Governmental Affairs, the House Committee on Government Reform and Oversight. There was also a public hearing of this measure by the House Committee on Rules.

STATUS: The Senate's original version of the Line-Item Veto Act of 1995 was passed on March 23, 1995 (69-29). The House added an amendment to the Senate's bill and, then, passed this overall measure on May 17, 1995. The bill, with the House's amendment, was then returned to the Senate on May 18, 1995 for the necessary re-approval.

SPONSORS: Sen. Bob Dole (R-KS) and 29 other Senate cosponsors.

PRO: Proponents say that the Line-Item Veto bill is needed in order to reduce wasteful government spending. The line-item veto will enable the President to eliminate Congressional representative's pet projects or other projects tagged onto appropriations bills in order to gain support for the overall appropriation bill.

"The line-item veto will empower the President to rid legislation of wasteful spending, forcing each expenditure to survive public scrutiny and survive on its own."--Rep. Jon Christensen (R- NE).

CON: Opponents argue that the Line-Item Veto bill shift the balance of power too heavily to the Executive. Furthermore, they argue that the pork barrel projects used to get votes will continue to exist, but will originate in the White House instead of in Congressional committees.

"[The Line-Item Veto bill] will disrupt the balance of power between the legislative and executive branch and concentrate too much power in the Executive. The President will dictate the spending priorities to Congress that the founding fathers clearly placed under the legislative branch."--Rep. Ken Bentsen (D-TX).

WHAT'S NEXT: On June 20, 1995 the measure was sent to conference for conference appointees to resolve the differences between the House and Senate version of the bill and to approve the House amendments. An identical measure must be sent from the conference to both the House and Senate for a vote on that same bill before it can be sent to the President.