Sens. Russ Feingold, D-Wis., and John McCain, R-Ariz., always have been unlikely partners brought together in their fight against wasteful spending in the form of pet projects, or earmarks, that bog down federal spending bills.
Feingold and U.S. Rep. Paul Ryan of Janesville are equally unlikely teammates, but the continued inclusion of earmarks in the most recent spending bill has brought them together, too.
Feingold, McCain and Ryan on Wednesday introduced a bill that would give the president line-item veto power to delete wasteful spending projects from all spending bills. It is a power most U.S. governors have. It's a power the president should regain.
Congress gave President Bill Clinton line-item veto authority in 1996, but the U.S. Supreme Court ruled it unconstitutional two years later. The Feingold-McCain-Ryan bill, they say, satisfies the court's objection by requiring that Congress vote on the president's request to eliminate specific spending items. That's a fair measure that will help prevent a president from using the veto for personal political vendettas.
As this editorial was written, the U.S. Senate still was debating a $410 billion appropriations bill that was held up because it includes $7.7 billion in 8,750 earmarks made by both Democratic and Republican lawmakers.
Feingold, unfortunately, is right when he says, "If Congress won't restrain itself, the president should be able to try."
President Obama during the campaign promised to end the practice of earmarks, vowing to go through spending line by line to determine what is wasteful and what is not. He has that power in writing a budget, of course, but right now he can't prevent lawmakers from adding on spending without vetoing an entire bill.
It's time to give Obama, and future presidents that power. It's time to put Obama's pledge to the test.
Feingold and U.S. Rep. Paul Ryan of Janesville are equally unlikely teammates, but the continued inclusion of earmarks in the most recent spending bill has brought them together, too.
Feingold, McCain and Ryan on Wednesday introduced a bill that would give the president line-item veto power to delete wasteful spending projects from all spending bills. It is a power most U.S. governors have. It's a power the president should regain.
Congress gave President Bill Clinton line-item veto authority in 1996, but the U.S. Supreme Court ruled it unconstitutional two years later. The Feingold-McCain-Ryan bill, they say, satisfies the court's objection by requiring that Congress vote on the president's request to eliminate specific spending items. That's a fair measure that will help prevent a president from using the veto for personal political vendettas.
As this editorial was written, the U.S. Senate still was debating a $410 billion appropriations bill that was held up because it includes $7.7 billion in 8,750 earmarks made by both Democratic and Republican lawmakers.
Feingold, unfortunately, is right when he says, "If Congress won't restrain itself, the president should be able to try."
President Obama during the campaign promised to end the practice of earmarks, vowing to go through spending line by line to determine what is wasteful and what is not. He has that power in writing a budget, of course, but right now he can't prevent lawmakers from adding on spending without vetoing an entire bill.
It's time to give Obama, and future presidents that power. It's time to put Obama's pledge to the test.
