President Trump called for the return of the line-item veto, which would allow the President to veto specific expenditures in a bill – without having to reject the entire bill. After the passing of a massive, trillion dollar omnibus spending package, Trump vowed to get serious about spending.
“To prevent the omnibus situation from ever happening again, I’m calling on Congress to give me a line-item veto for all government spending bills,” said President Donald Trump. “And the Senate must end — they must end the filibuster rule and get down to work.”
Despite the fact that it is highly unlikely President Donald Trump would obtain powers similar to a line-item veto, supporters say that the President’s requests give a message that he listens to the frustrations about immoderate spending.
“He’s showing that he’s concerned with out-of-control spending,” said Ford O’Connell, GOP strategist.
President Donald Trump said with the intention of helping the military he approved the bill, however, said that he was upset the omnibus also involved items that he deliberated to be uneconomical so as to get the funding of Democrats.
“I say to Congress: I will never sign another bill like this again,” Trump declared.
Raj Shah, Deputy Press Secretary of the White House was questioned about the line-item veto.
“The President outlined on Friday why he was very frustrated with the legislation that he was given,” said Shah in a press briefing.
Brandon Arnold, National Taxpayers Union’s executive vice president said:
“He’s in a tough spot. It’s a lot different running a company than being President where there are two other branches that have as much power as you do.”
Ford O’Connell, GOP strategist called the omnibus as “a perpetuate-the-swamp bill.” He also said
“Republicans know if they’re not in power, [spending is] just going to continue to explode,” said O’Connell “There are certain things being discussed with respect to House and Senate rules,”
Paul Ryan (Republican -Wisconsin) and Chris Van Hollen (Democrats – Maryland) supported the bill.
“In the past, Republicans and Democrats have come together to support a constitutional ‘line-item veto’ that would enable the president to propose targeted cuts in spending and to ensure his proposals are promptly acted on by Congress,” said Ryan’s spokesperson AshLee Strong. “The Speaker continues to support this tool to eliminate wasteful spending.”
Conservative groups also have supported the notion of Presidents of having accelerated rescission authority.
“We think there should be a way for the president to remove an item he feels is unnecessary,” said the President of Citizens Against Government Waste, Thomas Schatz.
Despite the fact that Democrats are likely to disapprove a bill that offers President Donald Trump more power, it is uncertain any line-item veto proposition will be passed very soon.
“I think it would force Congress to face its addiction on spending, which is currently a bipartisan disease,” said Club for Growth’s vice president of government affairs, Andrew Roth. “And Trump would clearly be on the side of the American people, who are tired of these trillion-dollar deficits Congress keeps racking up.”
