William Orton: “Mr. Chairman, I am a Member who has supported the line-item veto since before being elected to Congress. This is not a…”

“Mr. Chairman, I am a Member who has supported the line-item veto since before being elected to Congress. This is not a partisan issue, and the line-item veto did not begin with the Contract With America. Many Members on both sides of the aisle support the line-item veto and many new Members have come to the floor of the House today to support the line-item veto. I would ask those new Members especially to carefully consider the amendment which I now offer. It will be very difficult to explain a 'no' vote against this amendment which does not weaken but strengthens the President's line-item veto. The purpose of H.R. 2, the line-item veto, is to single out specific projects of pork barrel spending which are tacked on to larger billions. In fact, last Friday Chairman Clinger, in accepting the Obey amendment said that the purpose of the bill was to 'get at pork wherever and whenever it may occur.' My amendment does that in a very simple and straightforward manner. It states, 'the term discretionary budget authority includes authority to enter into contracts under which the United States is obligated to make outlays, the budget authority for which is not provided in advance by appropriations Acts.' The most visible type of pork-barrel spending are the earmarked projects tucked neatly into large appropriation bills. H.R. 2 will subject this type of pork to line-item veto.”