Final answer:
Presidents do not have the line-item veto power; it was deemed unconstitutional by the Supreme Court in 1998. Presidents must either sign a bill, veto it, or let it become law without their signature. They can negotiate with Congress or use a veto threat to influence legislation.
Step-by-step explanation:
The line-item veto was a power that allowed U.S. presidents to veto specific provisions of a bill without vetoing the entire bill. This tool aimed to enable the president to reject particular spending items or riders—unrelated amendments added to bills to secure votes. However, the line-item veto's existence was brief; it was established by law in 1996 and just two years later, in 1998, the Supreme Court ruled it unconstitutional on the grounds that it disrupted the balance of powers between the legislative and executive branches. Since the Supreme Court's decision, presidents do not have the line-item veto as an instrument to control specific congressional appropriations or unwanted riders.
Without the line-item veto, presidents must decide to either sign a bill into its entirety, veto it outright, or allow it to become law without signing if Congress is in session. If a bill is vetoed, Congress has the option to override the veto with a two-thirds majority vote in both the House and the Senate. The concept behind the line-item veto was to cut down government waste, but its rejection by the Supreme Court means that presidents continue to face a 'take it or leave it' situation with bills. Presidents, therefore, might use the threat of a veto or negotiate with Congress to influence legislation more to their liking, but they cannot selectively nullify specific portions of a bill.
Consequently, the legislative process involves a delicate balance of power, with the president influencing or accepting legislation through negotiation or outright veto, while Congress retains the final say through its ability to override vetoes or adapt legislation to address presidential concerns.