In the United States, the term "veto" is used to describe an action by which the president prevents an act passed by Congress from becoming law. This article provides a summary and details of the bills vetoed by presidents.
Veto procedure
Although the term "veto" does not appear in the United States Constitution, Article I requires each bill and joint resolution (except joint resolutions proposing a constitutional amendment) approved by the Congress to be presented to the president for his approval. Once the bill is presented to the president, there are several scenarios which may play out: The president may sign the bill into law within ten days (excluding Sundays). The president may veto the bill by returning it to Congress with a statement of objections within ten days (excluding Sundays). If the president vetoes a bill, the Congress shall reconsider it (together with the president's objections), and if both houses of the Congress vote to pass the law again by a two-thirds majority of members voting, then the bill becomes law, notwithstanding the president's veto. (The term "override" is used to describe this process of overcoming a presidential veto.) If the president does nothing with the bill (neither signing it nor returning it to Congress with objections) and Congress does not by its adjournment prevent the bill's return, then the bill becomes law after ten days (excluding Sundays). If the president does nothing with the bill and before the tenth day (excluding Sundays) Congress has adjourned in such a way as to prevent the bill being returned, then the bill expires and does not become law. The term "pocket veto" is used to describe this practice. Pocket vetoes cannot be overridden, so if the Congress still wants the piece of legislation enacted, a new bill must be introduced and passed (at which point it would again be subject to a veto). Doubt has existed as to which recesses and adjournments allow for pocket vetoes. In the modern practice, the clerk of the House and the secretary of the Senate are authorized to receive veto messages during both intrasession and intersession recesses and adjournments, so pocket vetoes are only possible after the adjournment sine die of the final session of a Congress.
Although each case is different, one general rule can be acknowledged: presidents use their prerogative to veto legislation when such legislation does not represent their viewpoint or agenda.
Occasionally, a president either publicly or privately threatens Congress with a veto to influence the content or passage of legislation. There is no record of what constitutes a "veto threat" or how many have been made over the years, but it has become a staple of presidential politics and a sometimes effective way of shaping policy. A president may also warn Congress of a veto of a particular bill so as to persuade Congress not to waste time passing particular legislation or including certain provisions in a bill when the president is prepared to veto it.
Summary
# President Regularvetoes Pocketvetoes Totalvetoes Vetoesoverridden % of total vetoesoverriddenComputed by dividing the "Vetoes overridden" column by the "Total vetoes" column and rounding to the nearest whole number. This calculation may help ascertain the relative success of a President or the Congress in legislative outcomes, regardless of the absolute number of vetoes and overrides issued. % of regularvetoes overridden1 2 0 2 0 0% 0%2 0 0 0 0 – –3 0 0 0 0 – –4 5 2 7 0 0% 0%5 1 0 1 0 0% 0%6 0 0 0 0 – –7 5 7 12 0 0% 0%8 0 1 1 0 0% 0%9 0 0 0 0 – –10 6 4 10 1 10% 16%11 2 1 3 0 0% 0%12 0 0 0 0 – –13 0 0 0 0 – –14 9 0 9 5 56% 56%15 4 3 7 0 0% 0%16 2 5 7 0 0% 0%17 21 8 29 15 52% 71%18 45 48 93 4 4% 9%19 12 1 13 1 8% 8%20 0 0 0 0 – –21 4 8 12 1 8% 25%22 304 110 414 2 1% 1%23 19 25 44 1 2% 5%24 42 128 170 5 3% 12%25 6 36 42 0 0% 0%26 42 40 82 1 1% 2%27 30 9 39 1 3% 3%28 33 11 44 6 14% 18%29 5 1 6 0 0% 0%30 20 30 50 4 8% 20%31 21 16 37 3 8% 14%32 372 263 635 9 1% 2%33 180 70 250 12 5% 7%34 73 108 181 2 1% 3%35 12 9 21 0 0% 0%36 16 14 30 0 0% 0%37 26 17 43 7 16% 27%38 48 18 66 12 18% 25%39 13 18 31 2 6% 15%40 39 39 78 9 12% 23%41 President George H. W. Bush and Congress disagreed as to the status of two bills, and . President Bush considered them to be properly pocket vetoed during recess periods, but Congress considered them enacted because he never returned H.J. Res. 390, and waited until January 3, 1992, to return S. 1176 (approximately two weeks late). This table does not count those two actions as vetoes, but the bills in question are listed below in the contents. (On February 4, 1992 and March 3, 1992, the Senate and the House, respectively, passed , which purported to repeal S. 1176. Bush signed the measure on March 19, 1992, although he considered both measures to be of no effect, while the Secretary of the Senate believes that the issue awaits future resolution. ) 29 15 44 1 2% 2%42 36 1 37 2 5% 6%43 12 0 12 4 33% 33%44 12 0 12 1 8% 8%45 10 0 10 1 10% 10%46 13 0 13 0 0% 0%47 2 0 2 0 – – Total 1531 1066 2597 112 4% 7%'–' indicates no vetoes to override, so a percentage cannot be calculated
Presidents with most or fewest vetoes RecordPresidentCountNotesMost vetoesFranklin D. Roosevelt635Only president to serve more than two terms.Fewest vetoesJohn Adams0Thomas JeffersonJohn Quincy AdamsWilliam Henry HarrisonDied one month after taking office.Zachary TaylorMillard FillmoreJames A. GarfieldAssassinated roughly six months after taking office.Most vetoes in a single complete termGrover Cleveland414First termMost vetoes in two complete termsGrover Cleveland584Fewest vetoes in a single complete termJohn Adams0Thomas JeffersonEach termJames MonroeFirst termJohn Quincy AdamsGeorge W. BushFirst termFewest vetoes in two complete termsThomas Jefferson0Most vetoes in a single Congressional sessionGrover Cleveland21250th United States CongressMost vetoes overriddenAndrew Johnson15Source:
Full veto record The following is an incomplete list of the dates and bills of each veto for each president:
George Washington
Two regular vetoes. April 5, 1792: Vetoed H.R. 163, an act for an apportionment of Representatives among the several states, according to the first enumeration. Override attempt failed in House on April 6, 1792, 28–33 (41 votes needed). February 28, 1797: Vetoed H.R. 219, an act to alter and amend an act, entitled "An act to ascertain and fix the military establishment of the United States." Override attempt failed in House on March 1, 1797, 55–36 (61 votes needed).
John Adams
No vetoes.
Thomas Jefferson
No vetoes.
James Madison
Seven vetoes (five regular vetoes and two pocket vetoes). February 21, 1811: Vetoed H.R. 155, an act incorporating the Protestant Episcopal Church in the town of Alexandria, in the District of Columbia. Override attempt failed in House on February 23, 1811, 29–74 (69 votes needed). February 28, 1811: Vetoed H.R. 170, an act for the relief of Richard Tervin, William Coleman, Edwin Lewis, Samuel Mims, Joseph Wilson, and the Baptist Church at Salem meeting house, in the Mississippi Territory. Override attempt failed in House on March 2, 1811, 33–55 (59 votes needed). April 3, 1812: Vetoed H.R. 81, an act for the trial of Causes pending in the respective District Courts of the United States, in case of the absence or disability of the Judges thereof. Override attempt failed in House on April 8, 1812, 26–70 (64 votes needed). July 1812: Pocket-vetoed H.R. 170, an act on the subject of a uniform rule of naturalization. January 30, 1815: Vetoed S. 67, an act to incorporate the subscribers to the Bank of the United States of America. Override attempt failed in Senate on February 2, 1815, 15–19 (23 votes needed). May 9, 1816: Pocket-vetoed H.R. 106, an act to provide for free importation of stereotype plates and to encourage the printing and gratuitous distribution of the Scriptures by the Bible societies within the United States. March 3, 1817: Vetoed H.R. 29, an act to set apart and pledge certain funds for internal improvements. Override attempt failed in House on March 3, 1817, 60–56 (78 votes needed).
James Monroe
One regular veto. May 4, 1822: Vetoed H.R. 50, an act for the preservation and repair of the Cumberland Road. Override attempt failed in House on May 6, 1822, 68–72 (94 votes needed).
John Quincy Adams
No vetoes.
Andrew Jackson
Twelve vetoes (five regular vetoes and seven pocket vetoes). May 27, 1830: Vetoed H.R. 285, an act to authorize a subscription of stock in the Maysville, Washington, Paris, and Lexington Turnpike Road Company. Override attempt failed in House on May 28, 1830, 96–92 (126 votes needed). May 31, 1830: Vetoed S. 27, an act to authorize a subscription of stock in the Washington Turnpike Road Company. Override attempt failed in Senate on May 31, 1830, 21–17 (26 votes needed). June 1830: Pocket-vetoed S. 74, an act to authorize a subscription for stock on the part of the United States in the Louisville and Portland Canal Company. June 1830: Pocket-vetoed H.R. 304, an act for making appropriations for building light-houses, light-boats, and monuments, placing buoys, and improving harbors and directing surveys. July 10, 1832: Vetoed S. 147, an act to modify and continue the act entitled "An act to incorporate the subscribers to the Bank of the United States." Override attempt failed in Senate on July 13, 1832, 22–19 (28 votes needed). July 1832: Pocket-vetoed S. 5, an act for the final settlement of the claims of States for interests on advances to the United States, made during the last war. July 1832: Pocket-vetoed H.R. 516, an act for the improvement of certain harbors, and the navigation of certain rivers. March 1833: Pocket-vetoed S. 6, an act to appropriate, for a limited time, the proceeds of the sales of the public lands of the United States, and for granting lands to certain states. July 1834: Pocket-vetoed S. 97, an act to improve the navigation of the Wabash River. March 3, 1835: Vetoed S. 160, an act to authorize the Secretary of the Treasury to compromise the claims allowed by the Commissioners under the treaty with the King of the Two Sicilies, concluded October 14, 1832. No override attempt made. June 10, 1836: Vetoed S. 141, an act to appoint a day for the annual meeting of Congress. Override attempt failed in Senate on June 27, 1836, 16–23 (26 votes needed). March 1837: Pocket-vetoed S. 144, an act designating and limiting the funds receivable for the revenues of the United States.
Martin Van Buren
One pocket veto. March 1839: Pocket-vetoed S. Res. 15, a resolution to provide for the distribution, in part, of the Madison Papers.
William Henry Harrison
No vetoes.
John Tyler
Ten vetoes (six regular vetoes and four pocket vetoes). One was overridden. August 16, 1841: Vetoed S. 5, an act to incorporate the subscribers to the Fiscal Bank of the United States. Override attempt failed in Senate on August 19, 1841, 25–24 (33 votes needed). September 9, 1841: Vetoed H.R. 14, an act to provide for the better collection, safekeeping, and disbursement of the public revenue, by means of a corporation to be styled the Fiscal Corporation of the United States. Override attempt failed in House on September 10, 1841, 92–87 (120 votes needed). August 9, 1842: Vetoed H.R. 472, an act to provide revenue from imports, and to charge and modify existing laws imposing duties on imports. Override attempt failed in House on August 17, 1842, 92–87 (120 votes needed). June 29, 1842: Vetoed H.R. 480, an act to extend for a limited period the present laws for laying and collecting duties on imports. Override attempt failed in House on July 4, 1842, 114–97 (141 votes needed). September 1842: Pocket-vetoed H.R. 210, an act regulating the taking of testimony on cases of contested elections.