Vetoing

Definition

Vetoing refers to the power held by the president (or other executive authorities) to reject or refuse approval of legislation passed by Congress before it becomes law. By vetoing a bill, the president can prevent it from being enacted unless overridden by Congress with enough votes.

Related terms

Override: This term refers to Congress' ability (with sufficient votes) to pass a bill into law even if the president has vetoed it.

Pocket Veto: A pocket veto occurs when the president takes no action on a bill during the final 10 days of a congressional session, effectively preventing its passage.

Line-item Veto: Line-item veto allows the executive to reject specific sections or provisions of a bill without rejecting the entire piece of legislation. However, this power is not held by the U.S. president.