U.S. Chamber Supports Presidential Line Item Veto

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The United States Chamber of Commerce called for a Constitutional amendment to give line-item veto power to the President, in testimony before Congress today.

The 1996 Line-Item Veto Act, granting the President authority to eliminate specific appropriations proposals, was struck down by the Supreme Court on the grounds that it gave the President more power to repeal or amend provisions of bills than the Constitution intended.

"It's up to Congress to resurrect this important means of fiscal restraint, through an amendment to the Constitution," said Chamber chief economist Dr. Martin Regalia. "We are enjoying record budget surpluses fueled by robust economic growth, rather than operating under the specter of debilitating budget deficits. However, without additional methods to control government spending, we could easily return to high deficits."

The President represents a broader constituency than individual members of Congress and will be more willing to oppose special interest spending by powerful legislators or narrow coalitions, according to the Chamber's testimony.

"Wasteful spending programs result in higher taxes, bigger government and more national debt," Regalia testified. "If Congress is unable to put itself on a 'pork-free' diet, we must license the President as its nutritionist, to help Congress get it done through the line item veto."

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce is the world's largest business federation representing more than three million businesses and organizations of every size, sector and region.

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