William J. Clinton, President of the United States v. City of New York

In 1996 Congress passed the Line Item Veto Act (LIVA), letting the President cancel individual spending or tax items in otherwise valid bills after signing them. In 1997 President Clinton (defendant) used it to cancel a Medicaid-funding provision benefiting New York and a capital-gains tax break for cooperative farmers. New York and a group of Idaho farmers (plaintiffs) sued, arguing LIVA unconstitutionally handed legislative power to the President. The district court held LIVA unconstitutional, and the President appealed directly to the Supreme Court.

Whether Congress may authorize the President to cancel individual provisions of a duly enacted statute without observing the Constitution's bicameralism and presentment procedures.