WASHINGTON - President Bush on Saturday called for Congress to give him more authority to slice and dice the budget, an idea that's popular with Republicans who say the White House needs more muscle to restrict federal spending.
"Under the current system, many lawmakers are able to insert funding for pet projects into large spending bills," Bush said in his radio address.
The president says this leaves lawmakers with two bad options: They can vote against an entire bill even though it contains worthwhile spending, or they can vote for a bill even though it includes money for special-interest projects.
"The president is left with the same dilemma - either he has to veto the entire bill, or sign the bill and approve the unnecessary spending," Bush said, pointing out that governors in 43 states have line-item veto authority.
On Thursday, the House passed a watered-down version of a more sweeping line-item veto law that the Supreme Court struck down in 1998, saying it took too much spending authority away from Congress.
The House bill, which passed 247-172, would let the president try to kill individual items contained in spending or tax bills that he otherwise signs into law. Congress would be required to vote on those specific items again. A simple majority in both the House and the Senate could override the president's objections.
Bush said a line-item veto would reduce the incentive for Congress to spend wastefully.
"A line-item veto would give the president a way to insist on greater discipline in the budget," Bush said.
The measure must still pass the Senate, and that's by no means a certainty.
