The Veto Override: How Bills Become Laws

The process of a bill becoming a law varies between political systems, but in the US, a bill must be approved by the House of Representatives, the Senate, and the President. If a bill has been passed by both the House and the Senate, it is sent to the President for review. The President can either approve the bill and sign it into law or veto it. If the President chooses to veto a bill, Congress can vote to override the veto, and if two-thirds of both the House and the Senate support the bill, it becomes a law.

Congress can override a veto with a two-thirds majority

Congress can override a presidential veto with a two-thirds majority vote in both the House of Representatives and the Senate. This means that if two-thirds of the Representatives and Senators support the bill, the President's veto is overridden, and the bill becomes a law.

The process of a bill becoming a law begins with its introduction by a member of the House of Representatives or the Senate. The bill is then assigned to a committee, which researches, discusses, and makes changes to it. After the committee stage, the bill is put before the relevant chamber (the House or the Senate) for a vote. If it passes in one chamber, it goes through a similar process in the other chamber. Once it has passed in both chambers, the bill is presented to the President.

The President has three options at this stage: they can sign and pass the bill, in which case it becomes a law; they can refuse to sign it and issue a veto, sending it back to Congress with their reasons for the veto; or they can do nothing, which is called a "pocket veto". If Congress is in session, the bill will automatically become law after 10 days of inaction by the President. However, if Congress is not in session, the bill will not become law.

If the President chooses to issue a veto, Congress can attempt to override it by voting on the bill again. If two-thirds of both chambers support the bill, the veto is overridden, and the bill becomes a law. This highlights the importance of Congress in the law-making process, as it demonstrates their power to enact legislation even in the face of presidential opposition.

The president can veto a bill if they disagree with it

However, this does not mean the bill will never become a law. Congress can still attempt to override the veto and pass the bill into law. In most cases, if two-thirds of the members of Congress vote to override the veto, the bill becomes a law.

It is important to note that there is a type of veto called a "pocket veto" that cannot be overridden by Congress. This occurs when the president does not sign off on a bill and it remains unsigned when Congress is no longer in session. In this case, the bill will be vetoed by default, and it will not become a law.

The president's veto power is a significant aspect of the lawmaking process in the United States, allowing for checks and balances between the legislative and executive branches of government.

A pocket veto occurs when Congress is not in session

A pocket veto is a legislative manoeuvre that allows a president or other official with veto power to exercise that power over a bill by taking no action, thus killing the bill without affirmatively vetoing it. In the US, if the president does not sign a bill within 10 days of its passage by Congress, it automatically becomes law. However, if Congress adjourns within that 10-day period and the president does not sign the bill, it is automatically vetoed, and this is called a pocket veto. This type of veto is distinct from a return veto, where the president sends a bill back to the house of Congress it originated from, along with their objections. Congress can override a return veto with a two-thirds vote in both chambers, but a pocket veto cannot be overridden. If a bill is pocket-vetoed, the only way for it to become law is to reintroduce it as new legislation, pass it through both chambers, and present it to the president again.

The US Constitution limits the president's period for deciding on a bill to 10 days (not including Sundays) while Congress is in session. If Congress adjourns before the 10-day period is up, and the president does not sign the bill, a pocket veto occurs, and the bill does not become law. This is outlined in Article 1, Section 7 of the US Constitution:

> "If any Bill shall not be returned by the President within ten days (Sundays excepted) after it shall have been presented to him, the same shall be a Law, in like manner as if he had signed it, unless the Congress by their Adjournment prevent its return, in which case it shall not be a Law."

While the pocket veto is a powerful tool for the president, it is not without its limitations. Congress can adjourn and designate an agent to receive veto messages and other communications, preventing a pocket veto. This action has been routinely taken by Congresses for decades.

The pocket veto has been used by several US presidents throughout history, with Franklin D. Roosevelt holding the record for the most pocket vetoes, at 263 out of 635 total vetoes during his time in office. Since the George W. Bush presidency, no president has used the pocket veto.

A bill is sent back to Congress with the president's reasons for veto

In the United States, 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 during their election campaign. Once a bill is introduced, it is assigned to a committee whose members will research, discuss, and make changes to the bill. The bill then goes through a process of review, research, and revision before being voted on by the committee members.

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 can choose to approve the bill and sign it into law or refuse to approve it by vetoing it. If the president vetoes a bill, it is sent back to Congress, along with a note listing their reasons for doing so. Congress can then attempt to override the veto by holding another vote on the bill. If two-thirds of the Representatives and Senators support the bill, the presidential veto is overridden, and the bill becomes a 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 through a "pocket veto". This type of veto cannot be overridden by Congress.

Congress can't override a pocket veto

In the United States, 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 during their election campaign. Once a bill is introduced, it is assigned to a committee whose members will research, discuss, and make changes to the bill. The bill is then put before that chamber to be voted on. If the bill passes one body of Congress, it goes to the other body to go through a similar process of research, discussion, changes, and voting. 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.

The president then considers the bill. They can approve the bill and sign it into law, or they can refuse to approve it, which is called a veto. If the president chooses to veto a bill, Congress can usually vote to override that veto, and the bill becomes a 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 action is called a "pocket veto", and it cannot be overridden by Congress.

A pocket veto occurs when a bill fails to become law because the president does not sign it within a certain period (typically 10 days) and cannot return the bill to Congress because Congress is no longer in session. This legislative maneuver allows the president to exercise their veto power by taking no action, effectively killing the bill without affirmatively vetoing it. If a bill is pocket vetoed while Congress is out of session, the only way for Congress to circumvent the pocket veto is to reintroduce the legislation as a new bill, pass it through both chambers, and present it to the president again for signature.

The pocket veto is a significant power held by the president, as it allows them to block a bill from becoming a law without the possibility of congressional override. This power has been used by several presidents throughout history, with Franklin D. Roosevelt having an outstanding number of pocket vetoes during his presidency from 1933 to 1945, with a total of 263.

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