Federal
Proposed Constitutional Amendment Would Give the President Line-Item Veto Authority
House Joint Resolution 8 proposes an amendment to the U.S. Constitution that would grant the President the authority to veto specific spending or provisions within a bill, rather than being required to sign or reject the entire legislation. Because it is a constitutional amendment, it would require approval by two-thirds of both chambers of Congress and ratification by three-fourths of the states to take effect. The resolution was referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary in January 2025.
✓ REASONS TO SUPPORT
- The President could remove wasteful or unrelated spending items attached to otherwise popular bills without rejecting the entire legislation.
- It could help reduce deficit spending by allowing targeted cuts to specific provisions rather than forcing an all-or-nothing choice.
- Supporters argue it would increase executive accountability by making it clearer which specific expenditures the President approves or rejects.
- Many state governors already have line-item veto power, and advocates say a similar tool at the federal level has proven effective at the state level.
✕ REASONS TO OPPOSE
- Giving the President power to strike individual provisions could significantly shift the balance of power away from Congress, which holds the constitutional authority over the federal purse.
- The President could use line-item veto authority to selectively eliminate spending that benefits political opponents or reward allies, raising concerns about political leverage.
- Congress might lose its ability to pass comprehensive compromise legislation, since any individual provision could be removed after passage.
- A prior federal line-item veto law was struck down by the Supreme Court in 1998; while a constitutional amendment would address that ruling, critics argue the underlying concerns about executive overreach remain.
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