Chuck Grassley: “I am proud to have this long awaited and unique opportunity to address the Chair about a successful conference report on…”

“I am proud to have this long awaited and unique opportunity to address the Chair about a successful conference report on a line-item veto. Some of us have spent much of our congressional careers fighting against wasteful spending. Under present law, the Chief Executive often cannot join in the battle against waste without the risk of destroying the good along with the extravagant. This line-item veto conference report succeeds in allowing a responsible Chief Executive to join our team of responsible legislators. Indeed, the line-item veto will allow a responsible President to join us in weeding the peoples' legislative garden. With this line-item veto, a responsible President can attack and cancel out entire dollar amounts in appropriation bills. He may not merely reduce a dollar amount; He may only cancel it entirely. With this line-item veto, a responsible President will attack and cancel out latent direct-spending provisions that would increase future spending. Thus, we will help prevent future deficit increases before they even begin; first, by eliminating a wasteful provision, and second, by dedicating any savings from operation of the line-item veto to a special lockbox for deficit reduction.”