Disarmament Diplomacy

Issue No. 19, October 1997

Clinton Vetoes Missile Defence Items in Defence Budget

On 15 October, President Clinton exercised his recently acquired right to veto 'line-items' in budgets proposed by Congress, to block $144 of spending in the $247.5 billion FY (Financial Year) 98 Defense Appropriations Act. The $144 had been earmarked to fund 13 projects which the President judged to be inappropriate or surplus to requirements. Of these, two were concerned with ballistic missile defence (BMD): the Clementine II project, slated to cost $30 million - a research and development programme for a possible space-based satellite system designed to intercept asteroids; and an anti-satellite technology programme, slated to cost $37.5 million.

Even after the line-item vetoes, the budget is over $4 billion more than was requested by the Department of Defense.

Reports: Clinton's defense veto list, Associated Press, 14 October; Clinton vetoes spy plane, other defense items, Reuters, 15 October; Clinton uses line-item veto on space-based missile projects, Armed Forces Newswire Service, 16 October.

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