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Bush, Kerry Agree on Line-Item Veto
President Bush sought Thursday to put more push into his campaign for line-item veto authority, bringing Democratic and Republican lawmakers to the White House to show support for the budget-hacking tool. The president gathered 13 lawmakers in the Cabinet Room, including Bush's Democratic opponent for the White House in 2004, Massachusetts Sen. John Kerry. During his campaign, Kerry promoted a similar approach to the one being pushed now by Bush, a weaker version of line-item veto power than the one that was struck down by the Supreme Court eight years ago. "I listened carefully to some constructive suggestions from both Republicans and Democrats as to how to get a piece of legislation passed," Bush told reporters after the meeting. "The American people expect all of us from both parties to work diligently as to how we spend their money. And one way that we can earn the confidence of the people is to pass a line-item veto." Like presidents dating back to Ulysses S. Grant, Bush wants the power to strike individual items, such as hometown projects known as "pork-barrel spending," without having to veto an entire bill. President Clinton got that wish in 1996, but two years later the Supreme Court declared the law unconstitutional because it allowed the president to amend laws passed by Congress.
Story Continues Below The version Bush is advocating would not allow the president to unilaterally strike items from legislation. Instead, the president would send one or more items back to Congress as a package for an up-or-down vote. Present law permits Congress to ignore these proposed rescissions, but under the Bush proposal lawmakers would have to vote on them. Two Democrats - Kerry and Rep. Mark Udall of Colorado - joined 11 Republicans at the meeting. "It means a lot that people from both parties are here. I particularly want to thank my opponent in the 2004 campaign, Sen. Kerry, for being here," Bush said as Kerry nodded silently. "I can remember on the campaign trail, he said that he supported a line-item veto, and he is following through on his word by being here at the table." Kerry later said in a statement that he fully supports Bush on this issue, even though "it's no secret" they have other differences. "I want to see the incomprehensible waste coming out of this Congress vetoed," he said.
© 2006 Associated Press. Editor's note:
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