Paulette's Political Notes

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The President  has called on the Senate to pass the legislative line item veto. Attached and below is a summary of the President’s remarks and some additional background on this important tool to target wasteful government spending and earmarks.   Senator Gordon Smith is supporting this legislation and Senator Wyden has not yet issued a statement on it.  
                                                                                       Paulette

The Legislative Line-Item Veto: Constitutional, Effective, And Bipartisan

Today, President Bush Called On The Senate To Join The House And Quickly Pass The Line-Item Veto, So He Can Sign It Into Law. The line-item veto, already passed by the House, would allow Presidents to target pork in large spending bills.  It is an essential part of the President's strategy to reform the budget process and enhance fiscal discipline.  The line-item veto President Bush has submitted to Congress is constitutional, effective, and has bipartisan support.

Ø      A Line-Item Veto Is A Vital Tool A President Could Use To Target Unnecessary And Wasteful Spending.  Tacking on spending to large bills is called "earmarking," and it often results in wasteful or unnecessary spending.  Earmarks are frequently inserted into bills at the last minute, leaving little or no time to debate or amend them.  Earmark sponsors often are not required to provide their colleagues with a reasoned justification for the proposed spending. 

·         The Earmark Problem Is Getting Worse.  According to the Congressional Research Service, the number of earmarks increased from about 3,000 to 13,000 over the last decade. 

Ø      Americans Have A Right To Know That When They Send Their Hard-Earned Dollars To Our Nation’s Capital, Those Dollars Will Be Used For Something That Is Necessary And Worthwhile.  The American people know how earmarks can lead to wasteful spending, and they are aware that their money is sometimes spent on unnecessary projects.

Ø      By Coming Together On The Line-Item Veto, Democrats And Republicans Can:

• Inject some common sense into the budget process;
• Change the perverse incentives that encourage wasteful spending; and
• Show the American people that being wise with the taxpayers’ money transcends party labels.
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