Cord Byrd: “the Senate passed the so-called Line-Item Veto Act on March 23, 1995. The legislation went to conference where it lay…”

“the Senate passed the so-called Line-Item Veto Act on March 23, 1995. The legislation went to conference where it lay dormant for something like a year, and I am told that the standard bearer of the Republican Party in last year's Presidential election prevailed upon the leadership in both Houses to get this matter out of conference and get it passed into law so that, I assume, he, Mr. Dole, would then feel that he would become the first wielder of the pen under this act. So the leadership went to work and on March 27--these dates are so etched in my gray matter between my two ears that I will never forget the dates. If anything ever happens to my mind and I lose my memory, I daresay this will be one of the last things that will be lost. So, on March 27, 1996, the Senate stabbed itself in the back by adopting that conference report. I have answered the Senator's question.”