GOP, Liberal Democrats in House Block Bill Backing Line-Item Veto

Recalcitrant Republicans and liberal Democrats combined to block House consideration Friday of a plan to give President Clinton limited power to veto individual items in spending bills.

House Speaker Thomas S. Foley (D-Wash.) had the bill withdrawn when it appeared Democrats would lose a procedural vote. But he promised he would bring the measure back after the Easter recess.

“This matter is not at an end,” Foley said. “Any suggestion that this is off the table is absolutely untrue.”

Republicans traditionally are supporters of giving the President more power over spending, but they planned to vote against consideration of the bill as part of their ongoing protest against the Democrats’ parliamentary tactics.

At the last minute, the Congressional Black Caucus announced that its three dozen members also would vote no. This doomed chances for the bill’s consideration.

Rep. Kweisi Mfume (D-Md.), chairman of the black caucus, said the group had not been consulted either by the House leadership or by the White House, which has been pushing for the additional power. Mfume said most of the caucus opposed ceding power to the executive branch, no matter which party was in power, but he did not rule out allowing the bill to go forward later.

The caucus had been seeking a meeting with the President on several foreign policy areas and the line-item veto but “it has not been our belief that the White House has been eager to meet,” Mfume said.