dent’s “return” of a bill pursuant to Article I, sec-
tion 7 and the president’s cancellation authority
pursuant to the Line Item Veto Act—most notably
that the Constitution expressly authorized the presi-
dent to play a role in the process of enacting statutes,
but was silent on the subject of unilateral presiden-
tial action that either appealed or amended parts of
duly enacted statutes. Although the Congress was
willing to grant such sweeping powers to the presi-
dent, the Court found it unconstitutional.
Impact The impact of the Line Item Veto Act was
negligible. The act was struck down less than eigh-
teen months after it went into effect. Prior to that,
the line-item veto was employed eleven times to
strike eighty-two provisions from the federal budget.
SinceClinton v. City of New York, Congress has consid-
ered, but never proposed, a constitutional amend-
ment that would grant line-item veto power to the
president.
Further Reading
Dewar, Helen, and Joan Biskupic. “Line-Item Veto
Struck Down; Backers Push for Alternative.”The
Washington Post, June 26, 1998, p. A01.
Worcester, Courtney. “An Abdication of Responsibil-
ity and a Violation of a Finely Wrought Proce-
dure: The Supreme Court Vetoes the Line Item
Veto Act of 1996.”Boston University Law Review 78
(December, 1998): 1583-1608.
Richard A. GlennSee also Balanced Budget Act of 1997; Clinton,
Bill; National debt; Supreme Court decisions. Literature in Canada
Definition Drama, prose, and poetry by Canadian
authors
During the 1990’s, most of the writers who had helped to es-
tablish Canada as an important literar y center continued
to publish outstanding works. Moreover, new writers ap-
peared on the scene, bringing new ideas and subjects into
an already rich literar y culture.
Inevitably, the decade saw the departure of some
writers who had played important roles in Canada’s
literary renaissance. Robertson Davies (1913-1995)
was a journalist, critic, playwright, and novelist who
had won international renown for his two trilogies.
His novelsMurther and Walking Spirits(1991) andThe
Cunning Man(1994) were the first two volumes in a
projected trilogy dealing with modern Canada. An-
other literary leader who passed away during the
1990’s was Anne Szumigalski (1922-1999), an award-
winning poet and the founder of the influential Sas-
katchewan Writers Guild.
Many established writers produced award-winning
works of fiction during the decade. Mordecai
Richler (1931-2001) again found in Montreal ample
subjects for satire. His novelBarney’s Version(1997)
was awarded the Giller Prize.The English Patient
(1992), by Michael Ondaatje, won the Trillium
Award, shared the Booker Prize, and was made into a
film that in 1997 won nine Academy Awards, includ-
ing Best Picture. Timothy Findley (1930-2002), whose
experience as actor and playwright is evident in his
highly dramatic novels, published four works during
the 1990’s. Two of them,The Piano Man’s Daughter
(1995) andPilgrim(1999), which was Findley’s most
complex work, were finalists for the Giller Prize.
Several well-known writers ventured into new ar-
eas. After three decades as a master of the short
story, Alistair MacLeod tried his hand at long fiction.518 Literature in Canada The Nineties in America
President Bill Clinton signs the Line Item Veto Act at the White
House on April 9, 1996.(AP/Wide World Photos)