Cite as: 524 U. S. 417 (1998)
Opinion of the Court
either of the cancellations involved in these cases.24 A majority vote of both Houses is sufficient to enact a disapproval bill. The Act does not grant the President the authority to cancel a disapproval bill, see § 691(c), but he does, of course, retain his constitutional authority to veto such a bill.25
The effect of a cancellation is plainly stated in § 691e, which defines the principal terms used in the Act. With respect to both an item of new direct spending and a limited tax benefit, the cancellation prevents the item "from having legal force or effect." §§ 691e(4)(B)-(C).26 Thus, under the
24 Congress failed to act upon proposed legislation to disapprove these cancellations. See S. 1157, H. R. 2444, S. 1144, and H. R. 2436, 105th Cong., 1st Sess. (1997). Indeed, despite the fact that the President has canceled at least 82 items since the Act was passed, see Statement of June E. O'Neill, Director, Congressional Budget Office, Line Item Veto Act After One Year, The Process and Its Implementation, before the Subcommittee on Legislative and Budget Process of the House Committee on Rules, 105th Cong., 2d Sess. (Mar. 11-12, 1998), Congress has enacted only one law, over a Presidential veto, disapproving any cancellation, see Pub. L. 105-159, 112 Stat. 19 (1998) (disapproving the cancellation of 38 military construction spending items).
25 See n. 29, infra.
26 The term "cancel," used in connection with any dollar amount of discretionary budget authority, means "to rescind." 2 U. S. C. § 691e(4)(A). The entire definition reads as follows:
"The term 'cancel' or 'cancellation' means— "(A) with respect to any dollar amount of discretionary budget authority, to rescind;
"(B) with respect to any item of new direct spending— "(i) that is budget authority provided by law (other than an appropriation law), to prevent such budget authority from having legal force or effect;
"(ii) that is entitlement authority, to prevent the specific legal obligation of the United States from having legal force or effect; or
"(iii) through the food stamp program, to prevent the specific provision of law that results in an increase in budget authority or outlays for that program from having legal force or effect; and
"(C) with respect to a limited tax benefit, to prevent the specific provision of law that provides such benefit from having legal force or effect." 2 U. S. C. § 691e(4) (1994 ed., Supp. II).
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