Return of the Line Item Veto

The House Rules Committee approved by an 8-4 vote a proposal to provide line-item veto authority to the President. Chairman Daniel Dreier (R-CA) thought that the veto power would supplement present Congressional efforts to control "earmark" spending, while Democrats feared the potential for abusive or retalitory use.

Line-item veto power is an imperfect way to control "pork-barrel" spending and the Democratic point is perhaps theoretically valid. Nevertheless, pork has gotten way out of control and a line-item veto would be welcomed--assuming, of control, that this iteration passes Constitutional muster.