On the recordOctober 30, 1997
I rise today to oppose S. 1292 because I believe the credibility of the Senate is on the line. Just last year, 69 U.S. Senators voted to give the President line-item veto authority. As a former chief executive who had the line-item veto authority, as indeed most Governors have that authority, I supported that decision. I did not use it in the way the senior Senator from Arkansas used it, but I had the authority. And I support it because I believe that only the President has the singular ability to reconcile the competing spending interests of all 535 Members of Congress and make decisions that will be based on our national interests. Today, unfortunately, we stand ready to emasculate completely the line-item veto authority.
Source
govinfo.gov
