line-item veto

American  

[lahyn-ahy-tuhm] / ˈlaɪnˌaɪ təm /

noun

1. the power of the executive to veto particular items of a bill without having to veto the entire bill.

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line-item veto Cultural  

1. The authority of an executive to veto a specific appropriation in a budget passed by a legislature. Viewing the line-item veto as an effective tactic against pork-barrel legislation, presidents Ronald Reagan and George H. W. Bush unsuccessfully sought this authority, which many state governors possess, from Congress. Under current law the president must choose between signing or vetoing the entire budget rather than parts (items on budget lines) of it.

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Example Sentences

Kelly’s line-item veto leaves in place $5 million for school safety grants but deletes specific wording that she said would have essentially converted the program “into a no-bid contract” by eliminating “nearly all potential competition.”

From Seattle Times

Franken has contacted the Kansas governor’s office in hopes she will line-item veto the specific criteria, which he said “create a kind of anti-competitive environment.”

From Seattle Times

Evers can then make changes with his line-item veto power before signing the two-year spending plan into law.

From Washington Times

He pored over a binder enumerating his varied powers: appointing Florida Supreme Court justices, removing local elected officials and wielding line-item vetoes against state lawmakers.

From New York Times

At the time, Abbott's office defended his line-item veto and his request to review agency rules as measures that were within his constitutional authority.

From Salon