New Bill Gives President Line-Item Veto Power, Congress Can Override with Two-Thirds Vote

This proposed constitutional amendment is basically handing the President a red pen to slash spending in bills after they've been signed into law. It's called a line-item veto, and it's a big shift in who controls the government's purse strings.

Show me the money...

The core idea is to give the President the power to trim what they see as unnecessary spending. Think of it like this: Congress passes a budget that includes money for a new bridge, but the President thinks it’s too expensive. With this amendment, the President could cut that specific funding, even if they signed the rest of the bill.

• The 10-Day Rule: The President has 10 days after making these cuts to tell Congress exactly what they've chopped.
• The Override: Congress isn't totally powerless. If two-thirds of both the House and Senate disagree with the President's cuts, they can vote to put the money back. That's a high bar, though – getting that many lawmakers to agree is tough.

Real-World Ripple Effects

Let's say you're a small business owner hoping for a grant that was tucked into a bigger spending bill. The President could zero that out. Or, imagine a community project – like a new park or library – gets its funding axed. It could also affect bigger things, like funding for a particular type of road repair favored in one state but not nationally, or even a federal jobs program.

• Example: A program providing job training for welders in a specific state could be cut, even if the overall bill supporting infrastructure projects gets signed.
• Example: Funding for a study on the environmental impact of a new pipeline could be eliminated, even if the bill funding the Department of Energy remains.

The Big Picture – and Potential Problems

This amendment is all about shifting the balance of power. Right now, Congress holds the main power of the purse. This would give the President a much bigger say in the final spending decisions.

• Potential Benefit: It could lead to less wasteful spending. If the President can target specific items, it might force Congress to be more careful about what they include in bills.
• Potential Challenge: The President could use this power to target programs they simply don't like, even if those programs are popular with the public or have strong support in Congress. The two-thirds override is important, but hard to achieve in practice. -Potential Challenge: There might be disagreements of the definition of the word, 'appropriation' and what it means exactly in the context of the President's power.
• Long-Term Implications: This fundamentally changes the relationship between the President and Congress. It's a big deal that could reshape how government operates for decades to come.