Judge Vetoes Presidential Line-Item Power: Jackson Declares Law Unconstitutional

Hill, Patrice, The Washington Times (Washington, DC)

A federal judge in Washington yesterday struck down as unconstitutional the line-item veto, one of the most significant achievements of the GOP-controlled Congress and a budget tool cherished by President Clinton.

The decision came before the president had an opportunity to try out his new power to carve special-interest items out of tax and spending bills. The Justice Department is likely to appeal the ruling, but no decision to do so had been announced last night.

The ruling handed a major victory to longtime foes, including the six members of Congress - five Democrats and one liberal Republican - who challenged the veto in a lawsuit Jan. 2, the day after it went into effect.

The lawsuit argued that it was an unconstitutional giveaway of …

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Publication information: Article title: Judge Vetoes Presidential Line-Item Power: Jackson Declares Law Unconstitutional. Contributors: Hill, Patrice - Author. Newspaper title: The Washington Times (Washington, DC). Publication date: April 11, 1997. Page number: 1. © 2009 The Washington Times LLC. COPYRIGHT 1997 Gale Group.

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