Confusion Marks Vote for Presidential Line-Item Veto

Several Democratic members of Congress who support presidential authority to veto separate items in appropriations bills were surprised Friday to find that their votes on the issue on Thursday had been characterized as putting them in opposition.

Some of the confusion resulted from a roll-call vote on a complex procedural resolution that not only sent the line-item veto bill to the White House but also established procedures for considering another bill to raise the federal debt. Some Democrats apparently believed that this vote was strictly on the debt limit.

There was some confusion on the House floor about the unusual parliamentary procedure. Some Democrats who support the line-item veto but voted “no” in the roll call said they did not realize the effect of the vote was to give final approval to the line-item veto.

Further confusing matters, The Times mistakenly identified an earlier procedural vote, which prevailed, 232 to 177, on strict party lines, as the final vote. Rep. Jane Harman (D-Rolling Hills), one of those who voted “no” on this roll call but “yes” on final passage, said in a letter to the editor: “In fact, I voted twice yesterday for a presidential line-item veto.”