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Clinton Uses Line-Item Veto On Defense Bill

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BRASILIA, Brazil (AllPolitics, Oct. 14) -- President Bill Clinton used his line-item veto today to eliminate 13 separate military programs, valued at $144 million in all, from the $248 billion defense appropriations bill.

Speaking to reporters in Brazil, Clinton said, "I think what I did today was responsible and quite restrained, and I believe that it's important to send a signal to the American people that we're going to stay on the budget track we started on, and we're going to stay within these numbers and balance the budget." (704K wav sound)

Clinton is the first president to have line-item veto authority, and has been anxious to use it to show that it's no longer "business as usual" in Washington when it comes to legislative "pork."

In a statement released from Brazil, the president said the deleted spending failed to meet a two part test. First, the projects were not in the White House budget request for fiscal year 1998. Second, they either were not in the "Future Years Defense Program" or the Pentagon ruled they wouldn't significantly contribute to U.S. military capability.

"Congress put in 750 projects not requested in our budget or in the Defense Department plan and reduced overall weapons procurement, reduced overall research and development to pay for virtually all of them," Clinton said.

The programs recommended for elimination were approved by White House Chief of Staff Erskine Bowles and other top White House officials after they met with representatives of the Pentagon, the National Security Council and the Office of Management and Budget on Monday. The list was then sent to Clinton, who is traveling in South America this week.

Though the total projects killed represent only a tiny percentage of the entire bill, Republican and Democratic lawmakers are still fuming over Clinton's veto last week of 2.6 percent of the $9.2 billion military contruction bill.

Addressing the criticism, Clinton pointed out that it was those same members of Congress who gave him the power. "I know that a lot of members who voted for the line-item veto in Congress now wonder whether they did the right thing now that I'm exercising it," he said.

When asked by a reporter if the new power was becoming "habit-forming" for Clinton, the president smiled and said no, but added that he hopes the need for it will decrease over time.

"I'm hoping that in the years ahead I won't be using it as much, and future presidents won't use it as much, because it will lead to a different kind of negotiation in the budgeting process."

The projects dropped from 1998 Defense spending varied from continued opperation of the SR-71 spy plane to a "Proton Beam" cancer treatment research plan to developing a new metal alloy for use in navy sonar equipment.

CNN's Wolf Blitzer contributed to this report.


In Other News:

Tuesday Oct. 14, 1997

Reno Wants More Time For Clinton Probe
Clinton Uses Line-Item Veto On Defense Bill
Paula Jones' Relatives Give Depositions
Making The Pitch For Free Trade

E-mail From Washington:
Teamsters Witnesses Tell Congress About Pressure To Give To Carey

FDCH Transcripts:
Clinton Holds News Conference With Brazilian President





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