June 09, 2010
Getting the Job Done for Wisconsin: Line-Item Veto
Feingold Introduces Tool to Cut Wasteful Spending in Congress
MILWAUKEE - While the Republican Party recently endorsed a Senate candidate who offers slogans instead of solutions about
eliminating wasteful Washington spending, Senator Russ Feingold continues his work to address spending and reduce the deficit.
Today, Senator Feingold, along with Senators Tom Carper (D-DE), and John McCain (R-AZ) introduced President Obama’s line-item
veto proposal to cut wasteful spending and earmarks that many in Congress hide in other spending measures. Last month, Senator
Feingold chaired a hearing in the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution on the line-item veto proposal.
President Obama’s proposal is based on legislation Senator Feingold wrote with hometown Congressman Paul Ryan (R-Janesville)
called the “Janesville Line-Item Veto.” The line-item veto will give any president the power to cut spending from legislation without
vetoing the entire bill. Senator John McCain (R-AZ) is also a sponsor of this legislation.
Feingold has been tackling the deficit since his first campaign, where he put forth an 82-point deficit-reduction plan, which helped
balance the budget and turn deficits into surpluses. Because of the irresponsible economic policies of the Bush Administration,
those surpluses turned into deficits.
To cut wasteful spending and reduce the deficit, Feingold introduced the Control Spending Now Act – a series of more than 40
proposals to cut the deficit by one-half trillion dollars. The Control Spending Now Act will curb unneeded spending such as earmarks
and automatic pay raises for members of Congress. The Control Spending Now Act also includes the Feingold-Ryan “Janesville Line-
Item Veto” proposal.
Experts Weigh In on the Line-Item Veto
Stephen Moore, Director of Fiscal Policy Studies, Cato Institute, “Sens. John McCain, R-Ariz., and Russ Feingold, D-Wis., have done
heroic work in exposing billions of dollars of obnoxious items in [1997’s] spending bills… On its merits, the line-item veto law
should be preserved. The critics were wrong. We now have evidence showing that the line-item veto does save money; it does
repeal preposterous spending projects that offend the sensibilities of taxpayers.
After one year, the line-item veto has shown itself to be one of the taxpayers' best friends. Lord knows, the taxpayers need as many
friends as they can get in Washington these days.”
John Palffy, Policy Analyst for the Heritage Foundation found that “by taking the handcuffs off the President in the appropriations
process, the line-item veto would constitute an important first step toward fiscal responsibility.”
Senator Feingold’s Control Spending Now Act
The line-item veto is a part of Feingold’s landmark Control Spending Now Act – a bill consisting of more than 40 different proposals
aimed at reforming the current budgeting system and putting the government’s fiscal house in order.
The Control Spending Now Act will reduce the deficit by one-half trillion dollars.
Specific provisions of the bill include:
*Ending the Wall Street bailout (TARP) that Feingold voted against and using that money to reduce the deficit.
*Rescinding all transportation earmarks more than 10 years old and with 90 percent unobligated funds remaining. This measure,
passed by the Senate in March 2010, will save taxpayers $478 million this year alone by eliminating old, unwanted earmarks.
*Ending the automatic pay raise members of Congress receive each year, unless they specifically vote against it. Recently, Feingold
introduced legislation against the 2011 pay raise and the legislation passed on a bipartisan vote. Feingold does not accept a pay
raise during each six-year term in office and returns that money, and a portion of his office budget, each year - approximately $3.2
million to date.
*Reinstating pay-as-you-go (PAYGO) requirements, which insists all legislation must be deficit-neutral. In January 2010, Feingold
helped to get the U.S. Senate to reinstate this fiscally responsible law, which would make sure new mandatory spending or tax cuts
do not worsen the deficit.
*Reforming the 1872 law that subsidizes companies that mine hardrock minerals on public lands and preventing giveaways of the
public spectrum, lowering subsidies associated with administrative costs for oil, gas and geothermal energy production on public
lands and reducing aviation subsidies.
*Reforming irrigation and crop insurance subsidies, cutting farm subsidies to non-farmers, reducing direct payments to large
landowners, and eliminating cotton storage and grazing fee subsidies.
*Ending an IRS slush fund, repealing a redundant rail-line relocation program, ending support for the Colombian military, stopping
wasteful intelligence spending and eliminating the radio and TV signal the U.S. sends to Cuba that virtually nobody there is able to
listen to or watch.
Getting the Job Done for Wisconsin: Line-Item Veto
Feingold Introduces Tool to Cut Wasteful Spending in Congress
MILWAUKEE - While the Republican Party recently endorsed a Senate candidate who offers slogans instead of solutions about
eliminating wasteful Washington spending, Senator Russ Feingold continues his work to address spending and reduce the deficit.
Today, Senator Feingold, along with Senators Tom Carper (D-DE), and John McCain (R-AZ) introduced President Obama’s line-item
veto proposal to cut wasteful spending and earmarks that many in Congress hide in other spending measures. Last month, Senator
Feingold chaired a hearing in the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution on the line-item veto proposal.
President Obama’s proposal is based on legislation Senator Feingold wrote with hometown Congressman Paul Ryan (R-Janesville)
called the “Janesville Line-Item Veto.” The line-item veto will give any president the power to cut spending from legislation without
vetoing the entire bill. Senator John McCain (R-AZ) is also a sponsor of this legislation.
Feingold has been tackling the deficit since his first campaign, where he put forth an 82-point deficit-reduction plan, which helped
balance the budget and turn deficits into surpluses. Because of the irresponsible economic policies of the Bush Administration,
those surpluses turned into deficits.
To cut wasteful spending and reduce the deficit, Feingold introduced the Control Spending Now Act – a series of more than 40
proposals to cut the deficit by one-half trillion dollars. The Control Spending Now Act will curb unneeded spending such as earmarks
and automatic pay raises for members of Congress. The Control Spending Now Act also includes the Feingold-Ryan “Janesville Line-
Item Veto” proposal.
Experts Weigh In on the Line-Item Veto
Stephen Moore, Director of Fiscal Policy Studies, Cato Institute, “Sens. John McCain, R-Ariz., and Russ Feingold, D-Wis., have done
heroic work in exposing billions of dollars of obnoxious items in [1997’s] spending bills… On its merits, the line-item veto law
should be preserved. The critics were wrong. We now have evidence showing that the line-item veto does save money; it does
repeal preposterous spending projects that offend the sensibilities of taxpayers.
After one year, the line-item veto has shown itself to be one of the taxpayers' best friends. Lord knows, the taxpayers need as many
friends as they can get in Washington these days.”
John Palffy, Policy Analyst for the Heritage Foundation found that “by taking the handcuffs off the President in the appropriations
process, the line-item veto would constitute an important first step toward fiscal responsibility.”
Senator Feingold’s Control Spending Now Act
The line-item veto is a part of Feingold’s landmark Control Spending Now Act – a bill consisting of more than 40 different proposals
aimed at reforming the current budgeting system and putting the government’s fiscal house in order.
The Control Spending Now Act will reduce the deficit by one-half trillion dollars.
Specific provisions of the bill include:
*Ending the Wall Street bailout (TARP) that Feingold voted against and using that money to reduce the deficit.
*Rescinding all transportation earmarks more than 10 years old and with 90 percent unobligated funds remaining. This measure,
passed by the Senate in March 2010, will save taxpayers $478 million this year alone by eliminating old, unwanted earmarks.
*Ending the automatic pay raise members of Congress receive each year, unless they specifically vote against it. Recently, Feingold
introduced legislation against the 2011 pay raise and the legislation passed on a bipartisan vote. Feingold does not accept a pay
raise during each six-year term in office and returns that money, and a portion of his office budget, each year - approximately $3.2
million to date.
*Reinstating pay-as-you-go (PAYGO) requirements, which insists all legislation must be deficit-neutral. In January 2010, Feingold
helped to get the U.S. Senate to reinstate this fiscally responsible law, which would make sure new mandatory spending or tax cuts
do not worsen the deficit.
*Reforming the 1872 law that subsidizes companies that mine hardrock minerals on public lands and preventing giveaways of the
public spectrum, lowering subsidies associated with administrative costs for oil, gas and geothermal energy production on public
lands and reducing aviation subsidies.
*Reforming irrigation and crop insurance subsidies, cutting farm subsidies to non-farmers, reducing direct payments to large
landowners, and eliminating cotton storage and grazing fee subsidies.
*Ending an IRS slush fund, repealing a redundant rail-line relocation program, ending support for the Colombian military, stopping
wasteful intelligence spending and eliminating the radio and TV signal the U.S. sends to Cuba that virtually nobody there is able to
listen to or watch.
