Jeff Merkley: “Trump did exercise his strategy of operating as a king, if you will, a line item veto through this fancy term…”

“That's how you get government by and for the people, rather than said by and for a billionaire, or buy in for an elite class or buy in for the king himself. But last year, Trump did exercise his strategy of operating as a king, if you will, a line item veto through this fancy term pocket rescission, canceling nearly $5 billion in programs. authorized and funded by law. That tool, called a rescission, was created under the 741974 Impoundment Control act, and it allows a president to propose canceling a program, but it also says that cancellation does not take effect unless Congress votes to cancel the programs.” (04:50–05:03)

This is an excerpt from a raw transcript. The assertions have not been audited or verified. Tap the video to view the source footage and understand the context.