Verified snapshot · October 30, 2026
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Veto and override

The president can say no. Two thirds of each chamber can say yes anyway.

Once both chambers pass a bill, the president has ten days, Sundays excepted, to act on it.

All steps in text
  1. Once both chambers pass a bill, the president has ten days, Sundays excepted, to act on it.
  2. Signing makes it law. A veto sends it back to the chamber where it started, with the president’s objections.
  3. If Congress adjourns during the ten days and the president does nothing, the bill dies and cannot be overridden.
  4. Two thirds of each chamber voting again for the bill makes it law without the president: 290 of 435 in the House, 67 of 100 in the Senate, if everyone votes.
  5. Most vetoes stand. Overrides need votes from both parties, so they are rare.

✗It seems that A veto kills a bill for good.

✓Actually A regular veto returns the bill to Congress, which can override it with two thirds in each chamber. Only a pocket veto is final.

Why it matters

The veto threat shapes bills long before they reach the president. Knowing whether two thirds exist tells you if a threat is real.

See it in the data

Source: National Archives: Constitution questions (October 30, 2026) · National Archives: Constitution (October 30, 2026) · House: legislative process (October 30, 2026)

Verified snapshot: October 30, 2026. The explanations are written in plain language from official sources and are not legal advice. Each concept lists its sources.

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