President's Role: Bills To Laws

The president is the final step in the process of a bill becoming a 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 and pass it into law; they can veto the bill, sending it back to Congress with their reasons for doing so; or they can do nothing, resulting in a pocket veto. If the president chooses to veto a bill, Congress can hold another vote, and if two-thirds of both the House and the Senate support the bill, the president's veto is overridden and the bill becomes a law.

The President can approve the bill and sign it into law

Once a bill has been passed by both the House of Representatives and the Senate, it is presented to the President for approval. The President can choose to approve the bill and sign it into law. If the President approves, the bill becomes law.

The President has 10 days, excluding Sundays, to sign the bill. If the President does not sign the bill within this time frame and Congress is still in session, the bill will automatically pass into law. This is known as a 'pocket veto'. However, if Congress is not in session, the bill will not become law.

The President can refuse to approve a bill (veto)

The President can refuse to approve a bill, which is called a veto. If the President chooses to veto a bill, Congress can override it with a two-thirds majority vote, and the bill will become 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.

If the President chooses to veto, Congress can vote to override that veto and the bill becomes law

The President's role in the process of turning a bill into a law is a crucial one. Once a bill has been passed 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, refuse to sign it, or do nothing. If the President signs the bill, it becomes a law. If they refuse to sign it, this is called a veto. If the President does nothing and Congress remains in session, the bill will automatically become law after 10 days. However, if Congress is not in session, the bill will not become law. This is known as a "pocket veto".

If the President chooses to veto a bill, it is sent back to Congress with a note listing their reasons. The chamber in which the bill originated can then attempt to override the veto by holding a vote. For the veto to be overridden, two-thirds of those present in the chamber must vote in favour of the bill. If this happens, the bill is then sent to the other chamber, which can also hold its own override vote. If both chambers vote to override the veto, the bill becomes a law. However, a successful override of a presidential veto is rare.

If the President does not sign off on a bill and Congress is no longer in session, the bill will be vetoed by default (pocket veto)

The US Constitution gives the President 10 days (not including Sundays) to sign or veto a bill once it has been presented to them. If the President does not sign a bill within this timeframe and Congress is still in session, the bill will become law. However, if Congress is no longer in session, the bill will be pocket vetoed.

A pocket veto occurs when a bill is not signed into law because the President does not sign it within the 10-day period and cannot return the bill to Congress because it is no longer in session. In this case, the bill does not become law. The pocket veto cannot be overridden by Congress.

The pocket veto is a legislative manoeuvre that allows the President to exercise their veto power by taking no action, thus effectively killing the bill without affirmatively vetoing it. The pocket veto is distinct from a return veto, in which the President sends a bill, along with their objections, back to the house of Congress from which it originated. Congress can override a return veto by a two-thirds vote of both chambers, after which the bill becomes law.

The pocket veto is a powerful tool for the President to influence legislation, and its use has varied significantly between administrations. For example, Franklin D. Roosevelt had an outstanding number of pocket vetoes, more than any other President, with 263 out of 635 of his vetoes being pocket vetoes. On the other hand, since the George W. Bush presidency, no President has used the pocket veto.

The President can choose to do nothing (pocket veto) and if Congress is in session, the bill automatically becomes law after 10 days

The President has the power to veto a bill, which means refusing to approve it. This can be overridden by Congress, who can vote to pass the bill into law without the President's signature. However, if the President does nothing and Congress is in session, the bill will automatically become law after 10 days. This is known as a "pocket veto" and cannot be overridden by Congress. This only applies when Congress is in session; if they adjourn before the 10 days are up, the bill will not become law.

Frequently asked questions