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HJRES8

Proposal for a Line Item Veto Constitutional Amendment

Last scannedAug 23, 2026, 4:15 AM

In one sentence

This bill proposes changing the Constitution so the President can reduce specific funding amounts in bills before signing them into law.

What it does

  • Allows the President to reduce an appropriation when approving and signing a bill or joint resolution.
  • Requires the President to notify both chambers of Congress within 10 days after making a reduction.
  • Permits the House and Senate to consider disapproving the funding cut.
  • Restores the original funding amount if two-thirds of each chamber votes against the reduction.

Who it affects

  • The President
  • The House of Representatives
  • The Senate

Limits and unknowns

  • This proposal only becomes part of the Constitution if three-fourths of state legislatures approve it within seven years.
  • The text does not specify which types of bills or funding categories are eligible for reduction beyond general appropriations in a bill or joint resolution.

Plain language

Terms to know

Line item veto authority
The power to reduce specific funding amounts in a bill while signing the rest into law.
Appropriation
An amount of money included in a bill or joint resolution that can be reduced by the President under this proposal.

Official record

Sources

Validated
Official bill pageIntroduced textCurrent bill textStored full record

Official summary

This joint resolution proposes a constitutional amendment that authorizes the President to use a line item veto to reduce an appropriation in a bill or joint resolution. Under the amendment, the President must notify Congress within 10 days of using this authority to reduce an appropriation. The House and Senate may then consider disapproval of the reduction. If at least two-thirds of each chamber of Congress votes to disapprove the reduction, the amount of the appropriation that is subject to the reduction must be returned to the amount that was originally presented to the President.

Official activity

Bill history

  1. Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.House floor actions
  2. Introduced in HouseLibrary of Congress
  3. Introduced in HouseLibrary of Congress