Slaughter dings Obama plan for new spending-cut powers

House Rules Committee Chairwoman Louise Slaughter (D-N.Y.) has "very serious concerns" about a White House proposal to give the president new powers to cut spending.

Slaugher is the most senior House member to question the Obama administration's proposal for a new "expedited rescission authority," which would allow the president to propose a package of specific cuts to spending provisions in recently approved bills and force Congress to take up-or-down votes on it.

"I believe very strongly in the separation of powers and I argued many years ago against expanding the line item veto," Slaughter said in a statement. "Because of that, I have very serious concerns about any new proposal that would dramatically reshape the balance of power between the executive and the legislative branches, as this new White House plan calls for."

President Barack Obama's proposal is similar to the presidential line-item veto authority that was struck down by the Supreme Court in the late 1990s. 

Other senior Democrats have yet to support the White House proposal, sent to Congress on Monday. Speaker Nancy Pelosi (Calif.) and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (Nev.) have said they would review the proposal. Democrats backing the plan are Sen. Russ Feingold (D-Wis.) and House Blue Dogs, who have made similar proposals, as well as House Budget Chairman John Spratt (D-S.C.), who will introduce Obama's proposal in the House.

House Republicans said they "welcomed" Obama's proposal but said it wasn't nearly enough to deal with the $13 trillion debt.

Slaughter warned that the new presidential authority could weaken Congress's power of the purse, echoing the concerns of appropriators, most notably Sen. Robert Byrd (D-W.Va.).

"I do not believe that it's wise for Congress to hand over its Constitutionally-mandated responsibilities in any situation, but especially not when it comes to appropriations," Slaughter said. "This Congress — joined by the current Administration — has worked very hard to bring down the deficit and restore fiscal discipline and I am not sure that giving up our authority over this is the best way to lead."