Christine Quinn: “Mr. Chairman, it is an honor for me to be here today and join so many of our colleagues in enthusiastically supporting…”

“Mr. Chairman, it is an honor for me to be here today and join so many of our colleagues in enthusiastically supporting H.R. 2. Twice during the 103d Congress, since I have been a Member here in the Congress, we have had a chance to vote on the line-item veto, and twice we fell short of those votes. In the 104th Congress now I think we have a real opportunity to give the President of the United States the line-item veto. Mr. Chairman, the line-item veto will rise or fall on its own merits. But I think we have an opportunity here to go above and beyond that. We hear words like 'power' and 'punishment.' I think one of the problems we are into right now is that we have an opportunity here, unlike other legislation, where H.R. 2 says that the President's rescissions will take effect immediately unless the Congress rejects them. If the Congress rejects them within 20 days, they go back to the President and they will be vetoed again, if he indeed wants that to happen. Then it comes back to the House for a two-thirds majority. One of the by-products of H.R. 2 will be some discussion, communication, interaction between the House and the Senate and the President of the United States. I think that is healthy for this Government.”