IIRC If the president doesn’t sign a bill it is automatically passed, only requiring a >50% majority. The president has to take action in order to veto a bill, and only then does Congress have to have a 2/3 majority to override the veto
Yes, I know, I’m fun at parties, but it’s important to know how your government works, assuming you’re from the US, that is.
…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 declines to either sign or veto it – that is, he does not act on it in any way – then it becomes law without his signature (except when Congress has adjourned under certain circumstances).
It looks like the synthesis of those two seemingly contradictory things is:
If Congress is still in session after the 10 day grace period for the president to sign it has passed, the bill is treated as signed and becomes law. However if the 10 day grace period goes by and Congress is no longer in session at the end of that period, the bill is treated as vetoed.
Another approach:
Does nibbling on it count as a signature?
IIRC If the president doesn’t sign a bill it is automatically passed, only requiring a >50% majority. The president has to take action in order to veto a bill, and only then does Congress have to have a 2/3 majority to override the veto
Yes, I know, I’m fun at parties, but it’s important to know how your government works, assuming you’re from the US, that is.
Edit: according to USA.gov:
But according to congress.gov
So what exactly are the “certain circumstances”?
It looks like the synthesis of those two seemingly contradictory things is: If Congress is still in session after the 10 day grace period for the president to sign it has passed, the bill is treated as signed and becomes law. However if the 10 day grace period goes by and Congress is no longer in session at the end of that period, the bill is treated as vetoed.
Another approach: Does nibbling on it count as a signature?
Gonna have to pass that one to the Supreme Court. Does the sitting president have a Yacht the justices could borrow for a week or so?