Raines v. Byrd
United States Supreme Court
521 U.S. 811 (1997)
Relevant factsFree
Six members of Congress (plaintiffs) sued federal officials to challenge the Line Item Veto Act, which let the President selectively cancel budget provisions subject to a congressional override mechanism and included an express cause of action for affected individuals or members of Congress; the district court denied a motion to dismiss for lack of standing and ripeness and declared the Act unconstitutional, and the defendants sought direct Supreme Court review.
IssueFree
Whether members of Congress have standing to challenge the constitutionality of federal legislation where the alleged harm is an institutional injury rather than a personal one.