Cite as: 524 U. S. 417 (1998)
Breyer, J., dissenting
such law or . . . the best available information . . . ." 2 U. S. C. § 691(b) (1994 ed., Supp. II).
The second is purposive. The clear purpose behind the Act, confirmed by its legislative history, is to promote "greater fiscal accountability" and to "eliminate wasteful federal spending and . . . special tax breaks." H. R. Conf. Rep. No. 104-491, p. 15 (1996).
The third is substantive. The President must determine that, to "prevent" the item or amount "from having legal force or effect" will "reduce the Federal budget deficit; . . . not impair any essential Government functions; and . . . not harm the national interest." 2 U. S. C. § 691(a)(A) (1994 ed., Supp. II).
The resulting standards are broad. But this Court has upheld standards that are equally broad, or broader. See, e. g., National Broadcasting Co. v. United States, 319 U. S. 190, 225-226 (1943) (upholding delegation to Federal Communications Commission to regulate broadcast licensing as "public interest, convenience, or necessity" require) (internal quotation marks omitted); FPC v. Hope Natural Gas Co., 320 U. S. 591, 600-603 (1944) (upholding delegation to Federal Power Commission to determine "just and reasonable" rates); United States v. Rock Royal Co-operative, Inc., 307 U. S. 533, 577 (1939) (if milk prices were "unreasonable," Secretary of Agriculture could "fi[x]" prices to a level that was "in the public interest"). See also Lichter v. United States, 334 U. S. 742, 785-786 (1948) (delegation of authority to determine "excessive" profits); American Power & Light Co. v. SEC, 329 U. S. 90, 104-105 (1946) (delegation of authority to Securities and Exchange Commission to prevent "unfairly or inequitably" distributing voting power among security holders); Yakus v. United States, 321 U. S. 414, 427 (1944) (up-holding delegation to Price Administrator to fix commodity prices that would be "fair" and "equitable").
Indeed, the Court has only twice in its history found that a congressional delegation of power violated the "nondele-
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