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

They craft the state budget and have a line-item veto to eliminate legislative appropriations.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 9, 2026

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 • May 15, 2024

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 • Oct. 25, 2022

She is expected to support the bills but could make tweaks by crossing words out using what’s known as a line-item veto.

From Washington Times • Apr. 6, 2021

Senator Mattingly has introduced a bill permitting a 2-year trial run of the line-item veto.

From State of the Union Address by Reagan, Ronald