Order Code 98-147
Updated April 7, 2004
CRS Report for Congress
Received through the CRS Web
President Clinton’s Vetoes
Mitchel A. Sollenberger
Analyst in American National Government
Government and Finance Division
Summary
President William Jefferson Clinton vetoed 17 bills during his first term in office
(1993-1996) and 20 bills during his second term. All but one of President Clinton’s 37
vetoes were regular or return vetoes; one was pocket vetoed. Congress attempted to
override 13 of President Clinton’s vetoes; two were overridden.
Introduction
When presented with legislation passed by both houses of Congress, the President
may sign it into law within the 10-day period prescribed in the Constitution, let it become
law without his signature, or veto it. All bills and joint resolutions, except those
proposing amendments to the Constitution, must be presented to the President for his
approval in order to become law. Amendments to the Constitution, which require a two-
thirds vote in each house, are sent directly to the states for approval. If Congress is in
session when the President exercises his veto authority, the disapproved bill is returned
to the house where it originated along with a presidential message explaining the reasons
for its rejection. To sustain a veto, the President needs the vote of only one more than
one-third of a quorum in either the House of Representatives or the Senate.
If Congress has adjourned, preventing the return of a bill, the President may withhold
his signature beyond the constitutionally prescribed 10-day action period and the bill
neither becomes law nor is it returned to Congress for further action. This latter practice
has been dubbed the “pocket veto.” Unlike the procedure applied when a vetoed bill is
returned to a house in session, Congress does not have an opportunity or constitutional
authority to override a pocket veto.
Congressional procedure for reconsidering vetoed legislation is similar in both the
House and the Senate. Congressional action on a vetoed measure begins when the
President returns the bill to the house of origin along with a veto message indicating his
objections. Once the vetoed legislation has been received, the originating chamber is
constitutionally required “to reconsider” the vetoed bill. The Constitution is silent,
however, on the definition of “reconsideration.” In lieu of constitutional direction, House
Congressional Research Service ˜
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and Senate procedures and tradition govern the treatment of vetoed bills returned by the
President. Upon receiving a vetoed bill, the President’s message is read into the journal
of the house to which it was directed and the constitutional requirement “to reconsider”
is realized by laying the measure on the table, referring the bill back to committee,
postponing consideration to a certain day, or immediately voting on override.
Congressional procedures, tradition, and judicial ruling (
Missouri Pacific Ry. Co. v.
Kansas, 248 U.S. 276 (1919)) have determined that the vote required to pass a bill over
a veto means two-thirds of a quorum. If both chambers satisfy the two-thirds
requirement, the bill becomes law over the President’s objections. If either house does
not vote on reconsideration, or fails to produce a two-thirds majority to override, the veto
is sustained. When one house fails to override, the other house need not attempt to
override, even if the votes are available to succeed.
Table 1. President Clinton’s Vetoes
Date of
Override
Bill Number
Title
Veto
Attempt
H.R. 1158
06/07/95
Second Supplemental
No attempt.
Appropriations and Rescissions
Act for FY1995
S. 21
08/11/95
Bosnia and Herzegovina
No attempt.
Self-Defense Act of 1995
H.R. 1854
10/03/95
Legislative Branch
No attempt.
Appropriations for FY1996
H.R. 2586
11/13/95
Increase in the Statutory
No attempt.
Debt Limit
H.J.Res. 115
11/14/95
Second Continuing Resolution
No attempt.
for FY1996
H.R. 2491
12/06/95
Budget Reconciliation
No attempt.
H.R. 1977
12/18/95
Interior Appropriations
House sustained
for FY1996
01/04/96 by
239-177.
H.R. 2099
12/18/95
Veterans Affairs and Housing
No attempt.
and Urban Development
Appropriations for FY1996
H.R. 2076
12/19/95
Commerce, Justice, and State
House sustained
Appropriations for FY1995
01/03/96 by
240-159.
CRS-3
Date of
Override
Bill Number
Title
Veto
Attempt
H.R. 1058
12/19/95
Securities Litigation Reform Act
House overrode
12/20/95 by
319-100, Senate
overrode
12/22/95 by 68-
30. P.L. 104-67.
H.R. 1530
12/28/95
Defense Authorizations
House sustained
for FY1996
01/03/96 by
240-156.
H.R. 4
01/09/96
Welfare Reform Act
No attempt.
H.R. 1833
04/10/96
Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Act of
House overrode
1995
09/19/96 by
285-137. Senate
sustained
09/26/96 by 57-
41.
H.R. 1561
04/12/96
American Overseas Interest Act
House sustained
of 1996
04/30/96 by
234-188.
H.R. 956
05/02/96
Common Sense Product Liability
House sustained
Legal Reform Act of 1996
05/09/96 by
258-163.
H.R. 743
06/30/96
Teamwork for Employees and
No attempt.
Managers Act of 1996
H.R. 2909
10/02/96
Amends Silvio O. Conte National
No attempt.
Fish and Wildlife Refuge Act
H.R. 1469
06/09/97
Flood Relief Bill
No attempt.
H.R. 1122
10/10/97
Partial Birth Abortion
House overrode
07/23/98 by
296-132. Senate
sustained
09/18/98 by 64-
36.
H.R. 2631
11/13/97
Disapproving Cancellations
House overrode
02/05/98 by
347-69. Senate
overrode
02/25/98 by 78-
20. P.L. 105-
159.
S. 1502
05/20/98
D.C. Student Vouchers
No attempt.
H.R. 2709
06/23/98
Iran Sanctions Bill
No attempt
CRS-4
Date of
Override
Bill Number
Title
Veto
Attempt
H.R. 2646
07/21/98
Education Savings Account
No attempt.
H.R. 4101
10/07/98
FY1999 Agriculture
No attempt.
Appropriations
H.R. 1757
10/21/98
Foreign Affairs Reform
No attempt.
H.R. 2488
09/23/99
Tax Relief Bill
No attempt.
H.R. 2587
09/28/99
D.C. Appropriations, FY2000
No attempt.
H.R. 2606
10/18/99
Foreign Operations Spending,
No attempt.
FY2000
H.R. 2670
10/26/99
Commerce, Justice, and State
No attempt.
Appropriations, FY2000
H.R. 3064
11/03/99
District of Columbia
No attempt.
Appropriations, FY2000 and
Education, Labor, and HHS
Appropriations, FY2000
S. 1287
04/25/00
Nuclear Waste Policy
Senate sustained
Amendments Act of 2000
05/03/00 by 64-
35.
H.R. 4810
08/05/00
Marriage Tax Relief Bill
House sustained
09/13/00 by
270-158.
H.R. 8
08/31/00
Estate Tax Elimination Act
House sustained
09/07/00 by
274-157
H.R. 4733
10/07/00
Energy and Water Development
House overrode
10/11/00 by
315-98. Senate
referred veto to
committee
H.R. 4516
10/30/00
Legislative Branch and Treasury
No attempt.
Appropriations
H.R. 4392
11/04/00
Intelligence Authorization Bill
No attempt.
H.R. 2415
12/19/00
Consumer Bankruptcy Overhaul
Pocket veto.
Act