Thaindian News

WASHINGTON, D.C. (BNO NEWS) – U.S. Senators Russ Feingold, Tom Carper, and John McCain introduced legislation Wednesday to give the President line-item veto authority to target wasteful spending.

Last year Feingold and McCain, along with Rep. Paul Ryan, introduced the Congressional Accountability and Line-Item Veto Act, while Carper introduced legislation, the Budget Enforcement Legislative Tool Act, to create an expedited rescission authority for the President to help bring down spending.

President Obama recently asked Congress to pass line-item veto legislation and the legislation introduced Wednesday is nearly identical to the President’s recently laid-out proposal.

The Reduce Unnecessary Spending Act would enable any President to single out earmarks or other non-entitlement spending in legislation that arrives on his desk for signature. The President could then send these specific items back to Congress for expedited votes on whether to cancel or reduce funding for the provision.

“I am pleased the president has joined my call for a line-item veto to target wasteful spending,” Senator Feingold said. “With our line-item veto proposal, any president would now have an effective way to prevent taxpayer dollars being wasted on special interest projects. Not only would the line-item veto help go after billions of dollars worth of unnecessary spending secretly tucked into larger bills, it would also shine a light on the earmark process and deter lawmakers from doing earmarks in the first place.”

“This legislation would provide the President and Congress with an important tool to cut wasteful spending and ensure that precious tax-payer dollars are being spent wisely and effectively,” Senator Carper said.

Senator John McCain also expressed satisfaction, “our line-item veto proposal will enable some much needed fiscal restraint and help to end the abuse of the American taxpayer dollar in pork-laden legislation. I’m pleased that the President has changed his position and now recognizes the importance of the line-item veto.”

Cosponsors of Feingold, Carper, and McCain’s Reduce Unnecessary Spending Act include Senators Sheldon Whitehouse and Michael Bennet.