Should Pay Go and the Line Item Veto be restored?

[YellowLinesandArmadillos]

Gramm Rudman attempted to institute pay-go procedures for budgeting and though Congress and the White House found ways around it, it was largely successful in helping the Clinton Administration balance the budget in the 90s.

 

Here is a general link to the act. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gramm-Rudman

 

The line item veto was struck down in 1996 by the Supreme Court and would require an amendment to the Constitution, but it was used very successfully prior to that point. It would help both sides eliminate pork barrel spending.

[bills_fan_in_raleigh]

Gramm Rudman attempted to institute pay-go procedures for budgeting and though Congress and the White House found ways around it, it was largely successful in helping the Clinton Administration balance the budget in the 90s.

 

Here is a general link to the act. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gramm-Rudman

 

The line item veto was struck down in 1996 by the Supreme Court and would require an amendment to the Constitution, but it was used very successfully prior to that point. It would help both sides eliminate pork barrel spending.

We dont need the line item veto we need a law to be about a single thing. Too Many times a law on health care gets ammended to include (add earmark here). So voting records are never a true indicator sicne I cant tell if they voted for the bill because of its original intent or because of the earmark or some silly pro/anti anything addition. If we had bills that only had one line item ya can first make sure ya know how to pay for it and also can tell who is really for or against it.

[YellowLinesandArmadillos]

We dont need the line item veto we need a law to be about a single thing. Too Many times a law on health care gets ammended to include (add earmark here). So voting records are never a true indicator sicne I cant tell if they voted for the bill because of its original intent or because of the earmark or some silly pro/anti anything addition. If we had bills that only had one line item ya can first make sure ya know how to pay for it and also can tell who is really for or against it.

 

I would agree except there is not enough time in the day to pass each item individually, nor properly consider how it relates to everything else. I am not saying they do that now particularly well, but the staff does. So line-item maybe the only way to short circuit all the deals cut in order to pass a funding or tax bill.

[KD in CA]

I would agree except there is not enough time in the day to pass each item individually, nor properly consider how it relates to everything else. I am not saying they do that now particularly well, but the staff does. So line-item maybe the only way to short circuit all the deals cut in order to pass a funding or tax bill.

 

If there is not time to properly consider it or how it relates to everything else, than it doesn't need to be a law.

 

 

But aside from that, for practical reasons there should be a line item veto.

[bills_fan_in_raleigh]

If there is not time to properly consider it or how it relates to everything else, than it doesn't need to be a law.

 

 

But aside from that, for practical reasons there should be a line item veto.

and term limits. Without term limits we end up with what we currently have. Now why dont we have a presidential candidate talking about something like line item vetos and term limits? My proposal is simple 4 terms as a representative or 2 terms as a senator with no more than 12 consecutive years in the Congress.

[KD in CA]

and term limits. Without term limits we end up with what we currently have. Now why dont we have a presidential candidate talking about something like line item vetos and term limits? My proposal is simple 4 terms as a representative or 2 terms as a senator with no more than 12 consecutive years in the Congress.

 

Absolutely. It is beyond insane that the public does not call for this. Obviously the scum in Congress isn't going to vote for term limits until there is a huge public outcry. Unfortunately, many people are too stupid to understand the negative results from lifetime appointments to the Senate.

[Taro T]

Absolutely. It is beyond insane that the public does not call for this. Obviously the scum in Congress isn't going to vote for term limits until there is a huge public outcry. Unfortunately, many people are too stupid to understand the negative results from lifetime appointments to the Senate.

I'd like to see term limits, but I'm not sure how to deal w/ "lifetime staffers". Maybe Yellow Lines has some thoughts on that one.

[GG]

Line item is unconstitutional. The President has veto power over legislation, and should not be afraid to use it. It's amazing how quickly earmarks will disappear when the hammer is thrown at every bill for the first couple of times.

[YellowLinesandArmadillos]

I'd like to see term limits, but I'm not sure how to deal w/ "lifetime staffers". Maybe Yellow Lines has some thoughts on that one.

That would be indeed be an issue, staffers and lobbyists would gain more power as a result. Some of it will go to un-elected bureaucrats who are not responsible even to a political party. All would have the institutional knowledge of legislation and how to change it and therefore be able to unduly influence the result.

 

Just my opinion, but you would better off finding a way to diversify the power base further and make it more difficult to get things done. But term limits won't work, the power will go somewhere.

 

The only other thing I would not mind seeing is a third successful political party emerge. That would force more give and take and less centralized control of power in DC.

[Chilly]

The only other thing I would not mind seeing is a third successful political party emerge. That would force more give and take and less centralized control of power in DC.

 

Cept that it would only last a very short time, until one of the two big parties either swallows it up, or it replaces one of the two major parties.

[DC Tom]

I would agree except there is not enough time in the day to pass each item individually, nor properly consider how it relates to everything else. I am not saying they do that now particularly well, but the staff does. So line-item maybe the only way to short circuit all the deals cut in order to pass a funding or tax bill.

 

And yet...they can pass a bill recognizing the achievements of Idaho's Miss Potato 2008 in the Congressional Record.