House to tweak vetoed spending bill

[unhappycamper]

House to tweak vetoed spending bill
By Rick Maze - Staff writer
Posted : Monday Jan 14, 2008 21:26:12 EST

The delayed 2008 defense authorization bill is the top item on the legislative agenda when the House of Representatives returns to work Tuesday from its holiday break.

House Democratic leaders have scheduled a Tuesday evening vote that could avoid a direct constitutional challenge with the White House. Rather than voting to override a presidential veto, the House appears poised to vote on a motion that would send the $696.4 billion bill back to the House Armed Services Committee for quick revision.

White House officials said President Bush used a so-called “pocket veto” to block the bill from becoming law by refusing to sign it, but there is some uncertainty about whether he had that power.

Pocket vetoes are supposed to be limited to periods when Congress is not in session. The House of Representatives has not met since Dec. 19, but the Senate has been meeting briefly every four days, which leaves a gray area that could be hashed out only with a long legal fight.

By voting on a motion to send the bill back for more work instead of on a motion to override Bush’s veto, House leaders would reduce the time needed to come up with a new version of the bill, said aides who spoke on condition of anonymity.


Rest of article at: http://www.armytimes.com/news/2008/01/military_defenseauthorization_080114w/



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