Editorial: Talking tough on spending

Tuesday, March 7, 2006 | 7:45 a.m.

President Bush is asking Congress to pass legislation that he believes would give him more power to remove individual spending projects that he finds objectionable. Under Bush's proposal, he would send back to Congress those items he opposes in a spending bill, and Congress would then have to provide a straight up-or-down vote on each one. The cuts would take effect if a majority in both the House and the Senate agreed with the president.

"Forty-three governors have this line-item veto in their states," Bush said. "Now it's time to bring this important tool of fiscal discipline to Washington, D.C."

Of course, what Bush didn't highlight Monday was the fact that he has not vetoed any spending measure by Congress in the five years since he has been president. Yes, there is pork-barrel spending that goes on in Congress - the infamous "bridge to nowhere" in Alaska pushed by that state's Republican congressional delegation comes to mind.

But Bush has failed throughout his years as president to send a strong message that he would stand up to Congress and veto spending legislation that is out of control. If Bush was serious about reducing wasteful spending, as he says he is, wouldn't he have vetoed a spending measure by now?

A similar, yet stronger, version of giving presidents more power in spending by Congress was struck down by the U.S. Supreme Court in 1998. Congress, in 1996, gave President Bill Clinton the line-item veto - a power that he had asked for - but the Supreme Court said it was unconstitutional. The court properly reasoned that it gave the president too much power, enabling him to amend laws passed by Congress.

We are not sure if this milder version of the line-item veto would withstand a challenge under this Supreme Court eight years later, but we still think it is unnecessary. There definitely is needless spending - and unnecessary tax cuts, as well - that are going on in Washington.

What truly is needed is discipline - exercised by Congress and the president - when it comes to spending our tax dollars. Ultimately, the final say is up to the voters. If they think their representative and senators aren't being fiscally responsible, then they should vote them out of office.