What happens when a president doesn't return a bill in 10 days and what is the exception to the rule?

Answer 1

The president gets only 1 chance to get it

Answer 2

If the presidents does not act on a bill in 10 days, it becomes law unless Congress has gone out of session during those 10 days. In this latter case, the bill is vetoed- the so-called pocket veto.

Answer 3

If the president does not return a bill to Congress, it means that the president either will sign the bill into law, or withhold signature, in which case a) the bill will become law without his signature after 10 days (not including Sundays) or b) that the bill will be pocket vetoed if bill return to Congress is not possible because Congress has adjourned and has not designated legal agents to receive veto and other messages (something that normally occurs only at the end of a two-year congress).

Answer 4

Then the bill automatically becomes a law unless Congress is not in session during those 10 days. If that happens, the President keeps it but does not sign it, essentially vetoing it, which is called a pocket veto.

Article I, section 7, clause 2 of the US Constitution:

"... If any Bill shall not be returned by the President within ten Days (Sundays excepted) after it shall have been presented to him, the Same shall be a Law, in like Manner as if he had signed it, unless the Congress by their Adjournment prevent its Return, in which Case it shall not be a Law."

If the president does not act on a bill in 10 days, it becomes law unless Congress has gone out of session during those 10 days. In this latter case, the bill is vetoed by the so-called pocket veto.

Answer 5

If the president does not return a bill to Congress (such bill return to Congress constitutes a veto by the president), and the president does not sign the bill within 10 days (not including Sundays), then the bill becomes law without the president's signature.

Answer 6

It's a little confusing. Normally, a president can either sign a bill (passing it into law) or veto the bill and return it to Congress along with a statement of his objections, in which case Congress can override the veto by a 2/3 majority vote. The President has ten days to decide which of these to do; if he does neither, it becomes law just as if he had signed it.

If Congress adjourns in the interim so that the president cannot return it to Congress, the bill does NOT become law, and Congress CANNOT override the veto; the legislation must start all over again in the next session of Congress. This is called a "pocket veto".

In practice, Congress routinely designates an "agent" to receive vetoed bills when adjourning, so that the pocket veto is not an option.

Answer 7

The president gets only 1 chance to get it

Answer 8

It becomes a law without his signature