What is the President's veto power?

The President's veto power is the constitutional authority to reject bills passed by Congress, preventing them from becoming law unless Congress overrides the veto. The veto power is set out in Article I, Section 7 of the Constitution. When Congress passes a bill, it is presented to the President. The President has ten days (excluding Sundays) to act on the bill.

A presidential signature converts the bill into a federal statute. The President can veto the bill by returning it to the originating chamber with written objections. The President can take no action. If the President takes no action and Congress is in session, the bill becomes law after ten days. If Congress has adjourned during those ten days, the bill is pocket vetoed and does not become law.

Congress can override a veto by a two-thirds vote in both the House and the Senate. Most vetoes stand. Of more than 2,500 vetoes in American history, only about 110 have been overridden. The veto power is one of the President's most significant tools for influencing legislation. Even the threat of a veto can shape what Congress chooses to pass.

Different presidents have used the veto in very different ways. George Washington vetoed only two bills during his eight years in office, both on constitutional grounds. Andrew Jackson dramatically expanded the veto's use in the 1830s, including his famous veto of the Bank of the United States bill in 1832, which became a major issue in his reelection campaign. Franklin D. Roosevelt holds the record for most vetoes, 635 over his 12 years in office, reflecting his lengthy tenure and active engagement with Congress.

President Donald Trump issued 10 vetoes during his first term, all relatively late in his presidency. President Joe Biden issued just 13 vetoes over his single term. Some Presidents have left office without issuing a single veto, including Thomas Jefferson, John Quincy Adams, William Henry Harrison, Zachary Taylor, Millard Fillmore, and James Garfield.

Presidents have sometimes used signing statements to express disagreement with parts of bills they sign, signaling how they intend to interpret or enforce particular provisions. Signing statements are not part of the constitutional veto process but have become a tool of presidential influence over legislation. The Supreme Court ruled in Clinton v. City of New York (1998) that the line-item veto, which would have allowed the President to strike specific provisions from spending bills, was unconstitutional. The President must accept or reject a bill in its entirety.