If a new law has been passed by congress is there any mechanism for the US president to 'veto' or otherwise keep a law that congress has passed from becoming law?
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Comments have been moved to chat; please do not continue the discussion here. Before posting a comment below this one, please review the purposes of comments. Comments that do not request clarification or suggest improvements usually belong as an answer, on Law Meta, or in Law Chat. Comments continuing discussion may be removed.Jen– Jen ♦2026-02-26 16:11:14 +00:00Commented 2 days ago
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2I don't know why this question has a whopping minus 4 score. It looks like an entirely reasonable question to me. Even if Americans all know the answer Americans are not the only people on this site. I realise I was operating under an incorrect assumption of what it means for a law to pass but that hardly warrant a minus 4 score.Neil Meyer– Neil Meyer2026-02-27 08:22:00 +00:00Commented yesterday
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2 Answers
The President has the power to veto a Bill passed by Congress by returning it unsigned and with objections within 10 days. The Bill is also considered vetoed if Congress adjourns within that 10 day window thereby preventing the Bill's return.
When the President vetoes a Bill, the Bill can only become a law if passed by two-thirds of the House of Representatives and two-thirds of the Senate.
The wording of your question is non-standard, because the Bill does not become a law until either the President: signs and returns it; or allows 10 days to pass. Once a Bill is a law, there is no more power to veto.
See Article 1, Section 7, Clause 2:
Every Bill which shall have passed the House of Representatives and the Senate, shall, before it become a Law, be presented to the President of the United States; If he approve he shall sign it, but if not he shall return it, with his Objections to that House in which it shall have originated, who shall enter the Objections at large on their Journal, and proceed to reconsider it. If after such Reconsideration two thirds of that House shall agree to pass the Bill, it shall be sent, together with the Objections, to the other House, by which it shall likewise be reconsidered, and if approved by two thirds of that House, it shall become a Law. But in all such Cases the Votes of both Houses shall be determined by yeas and Nays, and the Names of the Persons voting for and against the Bill shall be entered on the Journal of each House respectively. 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.
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Must the objections be material, presumably just saying "this is deplorable" wouldn't constitute a meaningful objection. Can the objection say to the originating house if you adjust this or that send it back and I will sign it through or must both houses vote their supermajority to force it past the president - that is is there a middle way allowed?civitas– civitas2026-02-27 14:00:37 +00:00Commented yesterday
Yes, the President has an explicit veto power in Article I of the Constitution. Congress passes it, President signs or vetoes, done.
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