Here's An Interesting Lawsuit

From Reuters:

A congressional watchdog group filed a suit on Tuesday in federal court challenging the constitutionality of a $39 billion spending-cut law that passed each chamber of Congress in different forms.

Under the U.S. Constitution, the president signs into law only bills that are passed in identical form by both chambers.

"We have filed a lawsuit against the Bush administration for trying to sign into law something that is unconstitutional," said Public Citizen President Joan Claybrook.

If what the rest of the article says is true, then it does appear that Bush did violate the law by signing the Senate's version of the bill.

There is more than a mere technicality involved here. The spending bill in question was very controversial -- the House version barely passed, and Dick "Shooter" Cheney had to break a tie in the Senate. As the Reuters article notes: "If a court were to rule in Public Citizen's favor, it would be difficult for the Republican-controlled Congress to pass a new spending-cut bill so close to November congressional elections."