PRINTER'S NO. 2826
No. 211 Session of 1984
INTRODUCED BY RYAN, HAYES, NOYE, CESSAR, BRANDT, McCLATCHY,
SALVATORE, FLICK, BOOK, JOHNSON, ROBBINS, MACKOWSKI, GRUPPO,
SCHULER, SAURMAN, ANGSTADT, MADIGAN, WESTON, HERSHEY, HERMAN,
LEVI, SCHEETZ, DORR, G. M. SNYDER, MERRY, LEHR, GREENWOOD AND
CLYMER, APRIL 25, 1984
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON RULES, APRIL 30, 1984
A CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
1 Memorializing the Congress of the United States to provide an
2 amendment to the Constitution of the United States to provide
3 the President with the authority to veto individual line
4 items in appropriations bills.
5 WHEREAS, A commonly used element of the appropriations
6 process in Pennsylvania is the ability of the Governor to veto
7 individual line items in appropriation bills. This important
8 tool permits a chief executive to approve an appropriation
9 measure containing scores or hundreds of itemized appropriations
10 with exception, instead of rejecting an entire bill because of
11 one or several wasteful and extravagant spending items; and
12 WHEREAS, Forty-three states presently permit the Governor to
13 employ this line item veto technique in determining state
14 spending. In Pennsylvania, as well as throughout most of the
15 country, governors of both parties have found this to be a most
16 useful and necessary means of monitoring appropriations. The
17 line item veto ability is consistent with our system of checks
1 and balances, for, like any vetoed bill, a line item veto could
2 be subject to proceedings to override the veto; and
3 WHEREAS, Not permitting a President to exercise the
4 constitutional power of veto over a specific line item in an
5 appropriation bill contributes to excess spending; and
6 WHEREAS, In Pennsylvania, this ability has proven to operate
7 smoothly and consistently with the notion of executive-
8 legislative balance of powers. Clearly, the line item veto
9 authority contributes greatly to good government and responsible
10 consideration of appropriation items; therefore be it
11 RESOLVED (the Senate concurring), That the members of the
12 General Assembly hereby memorialize the Congress of the United
13 States to provide an amendment to the Constitution of the United
14 States to provide the President with the authority to veto an
15 item in appropriation bills; and be it further
16 RESOLVED, That copies of this resolution be transmitted to
17 the presiding officers of each house of Congress and to each
18 member of Congress from Pennsylvania.
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