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Veto guide

What is a veto?

A veto is the president’s rejection of a bill that Congress passed. A regular veto stops the bill from becoming law unless Congress overrides it with a two-thirds vote in each chamber.

Article I, Section 7 of the Constitution gives the president this power. Congress can pass a bill, but the president can object. The override power gives Congress a way to enact the bill despite that objection.

How does a president veto a bill?

  1. The House and Senate pass the same bill text and present it to the president.
  2. The president has 10 days, excluding Sundays, to sign or veto the bill. The clock starts after presentation, not after the congressional vote. Saturdays count.
  3. For a regular veto, the president returns the bill with written objections to the chamber where it started.

A veto threat alone does not reject a bill. The president must act on the bill after Congress presents it. The Congress.gov guide to presidential action explains the review period and the possible outcomes.

How does Congress override a veto?

Congress overrides a regular veto when two-thirds of members present and voting in each chamber vote to pass the bill. Each chamber must have a quorum, the minimum number of members needed to conduct business.

  1. The chamber where the bill started considers the veto first.
  2. If that chamber reaches the two-thirds threshold, the other chamber considers the override.
  3. If both chambers reach the threshold, the bill becomes law without the president’s signature.

If either chamber falls short, the veto stands. One chamber cannot override a veto alone. If the first chamber fails, the other chamber does not consider the override. Congress does not have to hold an override vote. Without a successful override in both chambers, the bill does not become law.

If all 435 voting House members and all 100 senators vote, an override needs 290 House votes and 67 Senate votes. Those are not fixed thresholds. For example, if 90 senators vote with a quorum present, 60 votes can override a veto. That is a two-thirds vote, not the Senate’s separate cloture rule.

The Congressional Research Service guide to veto overrides explains the voting threshold and the order of action.

What if the president does not sign the bill?

Refusing to sign does not always veto a bill. If the president takes no action during the 10-day period, excluding Sundays, the result depends on whether Congress can receive its return.

  • If Congress can receive the returned bill, it becomes law without the president’s signature.
  • If Congress’s adjournment prevents the return, the unsigned bill dies through a pocket veto.

Congress cannot override a pocket veto. Supporters must introduce the proposal again and pass it through both chambers. Not every recess prevents return. Read the pocket veto guide for the adjournment rule and its limits.

Follow your representatives’ votes

A veto is a presidential action, not a congressional vote. Your representative and senators may vote on the bill before a veto and on an override afterward. Those are separate votes. A vote to pass the original bill does not guarantee the same member will vote to override a veto.

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Cappy Pillow uses your ZIP code to find your senators and your House representative. Get free plain-English emails about their recorded votes on major bills. Enter your email and ZIP code to sign up for vote alerts.

These are vote alerts, not alerts for every presidential action. D.C. and U.S. territories have no U.S. senators. A split ZIP code may not identify your exact House district.

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