Bill To Law: Presidential Action Explained

The process of a bill becoming a law involves several steps, and once a bill has been approved by both the House of Representatives and the Senate, it is sent to the President for review. The President has the authority to approve or veto the bill, and their decision plays a crucial role in the bill's journey towards becoming a law.

The President can approve the bill

The President has the power to approve a bill and sign it into law. If the President approves of the bill, they can sign it and it becomes law. The President's signature is not required for a bill to become law, however. If the President takes no action for ten days while Congress is in session, the bill automatically becomes law. This is different if Congress has adjourned for the session. In this case, if the President does not sign off on a bill, it will be vetoed by default. This is known as a 'pocket veto' and cannot be overridden by Congress.

The President can veto the bill

The President can veto a bill, which is a refusal to approve it. If the President chooses to veto a bill, they must return it, along with their reasons for doing so, to the chamber in which it originated. Congress can then vote to override the veto, and if two-thirds of those voting agree, the bill becomes law. However, if the President does not sign off on a bill and it remains unsigned when Congress is no longer in session, the bill will be vetoed by default. This is known as a pocket veto and cannot be overridden by Congress.

The President can do nothing (pocket veto)

The President of the United States has three options when a bill is presented to them. They can choose to sign and pass the bill, refuse to sign or veto it, or do nothing. This last option is known as a pocket veto and it is a powerful legislative manoeuvre.

A pocket veto occurs when the President does nothing and takes no action on a bill ("keeping it in their pocket") within a ten-day period. This inaction effectively kills the bill without the President having to actively veto it. This is dependent on the laws of each country, and in some countries, a bill will automatically become law if the President takes no action.

In the US, the Constitution grants the President ten days to review a bill passed by Congress. If the President does not sign the bill within ten days, and Congress has adjourned during this period, the bill does not become law. This is a pocket veto. The President's inaction on the bill while Congress is adjourned means that the bill cannot be returned to Congress, and so it does not become law.

The pocket veto is controversial because, unlike a regular veto, it cannot be overridden by Congress. This is because the House and Senate are not in session and so cannot act on the rejection of the legislation. The pocket veto has been described as an anomaly and a power that was rejected by the founding fathers. However, it has been used by almost every President since James Madison in 1812, and Franklin D. Roosevelt had an outstanding number of pocket vetoes during his presidency.

Congress can override the veto

Congress can override a presidential veto by holding another vote on the bill. If two-thirds of both the House of Representatives and the Senate support the bill, the president's veto is overridden and the bill becomes a law.

The process of how a bill becomes a law involves several steps. A bill is a proposal for a new law or a change to an existing law. The idea for a bill can come from a sitting member of the U.S. Senate or House of Representatives, or be proposed by citizens or citizen groups. Once a bill is introduced, it is assigned to a committee, which researches, discusses, and makes changes to the bill. The bill is then put before the chamber to be voted on. If the bill passes one body of Congress, it goes through a similar process in the other body. Once both bodies vote to accept a bill, they must work out any differences between the two versions. Then, both chambers vote on the same version of the bill. If it passes, they present it to the president for review.

The president has three options: they can sign and pass the bill into law; veto the bill, sending it back to Congress with their reasons for doing so; or do nothing (pocket veto), which means that if Congress is not in session, the bill does not become law. If the president chooses to veto a bill, Congress can vote to override that veto.

The bill becomes law

Once a bill has been approved by both the House of Representatives and the Senate, it is sent to the President for review. The President has three options: they can sign the bill into law, veto the bill, or do nothing. If the President signs the bill, it becomes law. If the President vetoes the bill, it is sent back to Congress, which can then vote to override the veto. If Congress is successful in overriding the veto, the bill becomes law. If the President does nothing for ten days while Congress is in session, the bill automatically becomes law. However, if Congress has adjourned before the ten days are up and the President has not signed off on the bill, it will be vetoed by default. This is called a "pocket veto" and cannot be overridden by Congress.

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