line-item veto
[lahyn-ahy-tuh m]
- the power of the executive to veto particular items of a bill without having to veto the entire bill.
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Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018
line-item veto
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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The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition
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