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Opinion

Congress, Don’t Cede Budgetary Power to President

Some Members of Congress are starting to take an interest in giving the president an item veto to help control budget deficits. A Senate subcommittee last month asked experts and attorneys whether federal courts are likely to find constitutional a form of item veto called “expedited rescission.” It would authorize the president, upon signing an appropriations bill, to put together a list of projects to be canceled. The procedure requires Congress to take a vote on this package within a fixed period of time, with no opportunity for amendment.

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Rep. Michele Bachmann, who recently suspended her campaign for the presidency, speaks at the 2012 Conservative Political Action Conference in Washington, D.C., on Feb. 9.
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30 Hill Aides to Know

30 Hill Aides to Know

The clear expectation is Congress will get very little done this election year. But what does get accomplished, at least in the high-profile areas, will largely be the handiwork of an elite group of staffers — who combine policy expertise, political acumen and the trust of their lawmaker bosses to drive much of the legislative agenda.

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