Charles W. Stenholm: “Mr. Chairman, I think the question in the debate is: Is this about illusion or reality, substance or not? This is a…”

“Mr. Chairman, I think the question in the debate is: Is this about illusion or reality, substance or not? This is a tough amendment. It is fair, and it is constitutional. I think there are significant constitutional problems with H.R. 2, and it is likely it may be rescinded by the Court. So it will be wise to append this to that legislation so you have a backup, if you believe in line-item authority for the President. Remember this is not a panacea. I know we are going to honor Ronald Reagan on his 84th birthday, but he did send a message to Congress on March 10, 1988, saying, 'These are the items I would delete if I had the line-item veto,' and out of a budget deficit of $150 billion, Ronald Reagan could only find $1.5. This is not a panacea for the deficit. We are going to make some tough choices and decisions right here in this body if we want to get the deficit under control.”