Line-item veto

The constitution gives presidents the power to “veto” congressional acts, sending them back to the Congress with his comments. Starting from George Washington, this power has traditionally been interpreted to mean vetos of the entire bill; but as early as the Civil War the president of the Confederacy was given the power of a “line-item” veto, which allowed him to strike out parts of the bill while allowing the remainder to stand. Until Bill Clinton, however, no U.S, president was granted the power of the line-item veto.

On this day, April 9, in 1996, Bill Clinton signed into law a congressional act granting him the power of the line-item veto. The move was prompted by a focus in Congress on earmarked “pork-barrel” spending projects.

Congressmen got very good at attaching spending “riders” to necessary bills, giving their states and constituents federal dollars for questionable projects. Congress usually chose to pass bills, riders and all, rather than start from scratch in drafting them. The line-item veto allowed Clinton to strip the pork-barrel provisions, but a 6-3 Supreme Court decision subsequently denied the president line-item veto powers.