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1 (April 7, 2004)

handle is hein.crs/crsuntaakgk0001 and id is 1 raw text is: Order Code 98-148 Updated April 7, 2004 CRS Report for Congress Received through the CRS Web Presidential Vetoes, 1789-Present: A Summary Overview Mitchel A. Sollenberger Analyst in American National Government Government and Finance Division Summary The veto power vested in the President by Article I, Section 7 of the Constitution has proved to be an effective tool for the chief executive in his dealings with Congress. Since the beginning of the federal government in 1789, 35 of 43 Presidents have exercised their veto authority a total of 2,550 times. Of that total number, 1,484 have been returned vetoes - that is, the rejected legislation was returned to the congressional house of origin, while it was in session, with a presidential message of explanation - and 1,066 were pocket vetoed, or rejected while Congress was adjourned. Congress has challenged the President's veto 313 times and succeeded in overriding on 106 occasions. How Vetoes Work After legislation has been approved by both houses of Congress and presented to the President, he may sign it into law within the 10-day period prescribed in the Constitution, let it become law without his signature, or veto it. To become law, congressionally approved bills and joint resolutions, except those proposing amendments to the Constitution, must be presented to the President for final action. Amendments to the Constitution, which require a two-thirds vote in each house, are sent directly to the states for approval. If Congress is in session when the President exercises his veto authority, the disapproved bill is returned to the house where it originated, along with a presidential message explaining the reasons for its rejection. To sustain a veto, the President needs the vote of only one more than one-third of a quorum in either the House of Representatives or the Senate. 1 A quorum is defined as the number of members whose presence is necessary for the transaction of business. In the Senate and House, it is a majority of the membership (when there are no vacancies, this is 51 in the Senate and 218 in the House). A quorum is 100 in the Committee of the Whole House. Congressional Research Service + The Library of Congress

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