Peter Blute: “Mr. Chairman, now is the time to give the President of the United States the line-item veto authority. This issue has…”

“Mr. Chairman, now is the time to give the President of the United States the line-item veto authority. This issue has been kicking around up here on Capitol Hill for decades, and has been discussed and chewed over, committees have heard testimony, and still we have not done what needs to be done and give the President this needed tool. We already have an example of it working in our system of government. It has been field-tested in the 43 States that now have a line-item veto for their Governors. We have heard testimony in the committees from liberals and conservatives, from Republicans and Democrats, that the line-item veto works as a tool to keep the budget in line. There can be no doubt about that, and it is time that the President had a similar tool. Beyond that, Mr. Chairman, I think it needs to be pointed out that in the last Presidential campaign, both the Republican candidate, the Democratic candidate, and the independent candidate all supported giving the President a line-item veto authority. It was as close to a consensus issue as there was in that campaign. The American people support it by the polls. I believe it is time we did what the American people want and give the President this very important tool.”