Cord Byrd: “We will recall that the President had disapproved various projects that had been included in the Fiscal Year 1998…”

“We will recall that the President had disapproved various projects that had been included in the Fiscal Year 1998 Military Construction Appropriations Act. The President, under his newly gained authority, had disapproved 38 of the projects, In the letter, Mr. Raines states: ``The President used his authority responsibly to cancel projects that were not requested in the budget.'' He doesn't have any authority that I know of to cancel projects solely on the basis that they were not requested in his budget. He can do it, of course. He has the veto pen. But he is not acting on any ``authority'' that I know about. It is not in the Constitution. He doesn't get any authority there. He doesn't get his authority from the Line-Item Veto Act to ``cancel projects that were not requested in the budget.'' That Line Item Veto Act sets forth certain criteria for the guidance of the President in exercising the line-item veto pen. But nowhere in those criteria will there be found a criterion which says that the President may ``cancel projects that were not requested in the budget.'' Yet, Mr. Raines refers to such authority in his letter.”