Article I, Section 7, Clause 2

The Federalist and Federalist essays

• cited bySuggested
  Aristides, ¶ 13

  After ga••ing the aſſent of the ſenate, the bill muſt be ſubmitted to the objections of the preſident.

  The paragraph says a bill that has passed both houses is submitted to the objections of the president, the presentment procedure of Article I, Section 7, Clause 2.

• cited bySuggested
  Cassius 9, ¶ 7

  The 7th section further provides. That every bill which passes the house of representatives and the senate, before it becomes a law, shall be presented to the president of the United States; if he objects to it the sense of both houses will be again taken on the subject, and if two-thirds of the members are in favour of the bill,…

  Cites "The 7th section" and paraphrases this clause on presenting bills to the President and repassing them by two-thirds.

• cited bySuggested
  Citizen of New Haven 1, ¶ 3

  On which I would observe, that this would give a minority in congress power to controul the majority, joined with the concurrent voice of the president, for if the president dissents, no act can pass without the consent of two-thirds of the members in each branch of congress ; and would not that be contrary to the general principles of republican government ?

  The paragraph names the provision that a bill the president returns passes only with two thirds of each house.

• cited bySuggested
  Citizen of New Haven 2, ¶ 13

  …in Great Britian is one branch of the legislature, and has a negative on all laws ; perhaps that is an extreme not to be imitated by a republic, but the partial negative vested in the President by the new Constitution on the acts of Congress and the subsequent revision, may be very useful to prevent laws being passed without mature deliberation.

  The paragraph names the president's qualified negative on bills and their reconsideration by Congress.

• cited bySuggested
  An American Citizen, Number I, ¶ 9

  But in all great caſes affecting the national intereſts or ſafety, his modified and reſtrained power muſt give way to the ſenſe of two-thirds of the legiſlature.

  The paragraph describes the President's power over legislation as one that "must give way to the sense of two-thirds of the legislature" and as a duty "to request both houses to re-consider"; this is the presentment and return of bills in Article I, Section 7, Clause 2.

• cited bySuggested
  An American Citizen, Number II, ¶ 8

  The ſenate muſt always receive the exceptions of the preſident againſt any of their legiſlatve acts, which, without ſerious deliberation and ſufficient reaſons, they will ſeldom diſregard.

  The paragraph says the Senate must receive the President's "exceptions" to its acts, which describes the return of bills with objections in Article I, Section 7, Clause 2.

• cited bySuggested
  Landholder 5, ¶ 13

  The supreme executive is vested in a President of the United States; every bill that hath passed the senate and representatives, must be presented to the president, and if he approve it becomes law. If he disapproves, but makes no return within ten days, it still becomes law. If he returns the bill with his objections, the senate and representatives consider it a second time, and if twothirds of them adhere to the first resolution it becomes law notwithstanding the president's dissent. We allow the president hath an influence, tho' strictly speaking he hath not a legislative voice; and think such an influence must be salutary.

  Sets out step by step the presentment of bills to the president, the ten-day rule and reconsideration by two thirds, the procedure of this clause.

• quoted bySuggested
  A Native of Virginia, Article I, ¶ 42

  If any bill shall not be returned by the Preſide•• within ten days (Sundays excepted) after it ſhall have been pr•ſented to him, the ſame ſhall be a law, in like manner as if he had ſigned it, unleſs the Congreſs by their adjournment prevent 〈◊〉 return, in which caſe it ſhall not be a law.

  The paragraph prints Article I, Section 7, Clause 2 of the Constitution as signed; the quoted words are the same as the clause's (apart from capitals and the long s), though the pamphlet's punctuation differs in places.

• cited bySuggested
  A Native of Virginia, Article I, ¶ 2

  The Preſident make no part of it; for his negative only amounts to a reconſideration of the public meaſures; as notwithſtanding his diſapprobation, a bill becomes a law, if two thirds of each Houſe agre• to it.

  The paragraph says the president's negative is only a reconsideration, since a bill becomes a law over his disapproval if two thirds of each House agree; this is the procedure of Article I, Section 7, Clause 2.

• cited bySuggested
  A Native of Virginia, Article I, ¶ 43

  This power goes only to a reconſideration of the public meaſures; and the Preſident's diſapprobation, or negative, is nugatory, when two-thirds of each Houſe concur in any meaſure after it has undergone his inſpection.

  The paragraph says the president's negative is nugatory when two thirds of each House concur, and speaks of the ten days given him, which describes Article I, Section 7, Clause 2.

• cited bySuggested
  Federalist No. 69, ¶ 5

  The President of the United States is to have power to return a bill, which shall have passed the two branches of the legislature, for reconsideration; and the bill so returned is to become a law, if, upon that reconsideration, it be approved by two thirds of both houses. The king of Great Britain, on his part, has an absolute negative upon the acts of the two houses of Parliament.

  Describes the President's power to return a bill "for reconsideration" and its becoming law if "approved by two thirds of both houses," echoing this clause's words.

• cited bySuggested
  Federalist No. 73, ¶ 4

  …thing that offers itself to our observation, is the qualified negative of the President upon the acts or resolutions of the two houses of the legislature; or, in other words, his power of returning all bills with objections, to have the effect of preventing their becoming laws, unless they should afterwards be ratified by two thirds of each of the component members of the legislative body.

  Names the President's "power of returning all bills with objections" unless they are "ratified by two thirds" of each house, echoing this clause's words "return it, with his Objections."

• cited bySuggested
  Federalist No. 73, ¶ 13

  A man who might be afraid to defeat a law by his single VETO, might not scruple to return it for reconsideration; subject to being finally rejected only in the event of more than one third of each house concurring in the sufficiency of his objections.

  Returns to the "qualified negative already described" in the fourth paragraph, speaking of the President's power to "return it for reconsideration" with "his objections."

Anti-Federalist essays

• cited bySuggested
  Cato 4, ¶ 10

  …leagues, and alliances with foreign states, assisted by the Senate, which when made become the supreme law of land : he is a constituent part of the legislative power, for every bill which shall pass the House of Representatives and Senate is to be presented to him for approbation ; if he approves of it he is to sign it, if he disapproves he is to return it with objections, which in many cases will amount to a complete negative; and in this view he will have a great share in the power of making peace, coining money, etc.,…

  The paragraph describes in close wording the clause by which every bill passed by both houses is presented to the president, who signs it or returns it with objections.

• quoted bySuggested
  Sydney 1, ¶ 25

  7, provides a qualified negative, that is, that " every bill which shall be passed [by] the house of representatives and the senate, shall, before it become a law, be presented to the president of the United States."

  The paragraph names "Art 1st, sect. 7" and quotes the opening words of its second clause in quotation marks.

Other writings

• quoted bySuggested
  Pennsylvania convention, December 1, 1787, ¶ 9

  Further, sir, when objections shall have been made, it is provided, in order to secure the greatest degree of caution and responsibility, that the votes of both houses shall be determined by yeas and nays, and the names of the persons voting for and against the bill shall be entered in the journal of each house respectively.

  The speaker states the provision on the reconsideration of a returned bill in the clause's own words; he does not name it by number.

• quoted bySuggested
  Pennsylvania convention, December 4, 1787, ¶ 64

  Sir, the Convention observed, on tiffs occasion, strict propriety of language: “If he approve the bill, when it is sent, he shall sign it, but if not, he shall return it;” but no bill passes in consequence of having his assent: therefore, he possesses no legislative authority.

  The speaker quotes the clause on a bill presented to the President in quotation marks.

Debates in Congress

• quoted bySuggested
  House, December 6, 1803, ¶ 16

  In the 7th section of first article i,t is provided that "every bill which shall have passed the House of Representatives and the Senate, shall, before it become a law, be presented to the President of the United Slates: if he approve, he shall sign it ; but if not, he shall return it, with his objections, to that House in which it shall have originated, who shall…

  The paragraph quotes "the 7th section of first article" on bills returned by the President, beginning "every bill which shall have passed the House of Representatives and the Senate."

• cited bySuggested
  House, December 6, 1803, ¶ 19

  The first is in the case of the expulsion of a member: "Each House may, with ine concurrence of two-thirds, expel a member." Another instance is that In which the President puts his veto upon a bill. This part of the Constitution has been already read, and I need not repeat it.

  The speaker names "this part of the Constitution" on a bill to which the President puts his veto, which is Article I, Section 7, clause 2.

• cited bySuggested
  House, December 6, 1803, ¶ 43

  In the case of the President refusing to approve a law, the words are the same as in the present instance.

  The speaker names the words of the Constitution for the case of "the President refusing to approve a law," which is Article I, Section 7, clause 2.

• cited bySuggested
  House, May 10, 1866 (2), ¶ 112

  'The Constitution requires that the vote shall bo taken by yeas and nays upon the passage of a measure over a veto. But it only says that the passage of an amendment to the Constitution shall be by a twothirds vote of each House of Congress, but does not say that the…

  The Speaker says the Constitution requires a vote "by yeas and nays upon the passage of a measure over a veto", the rule of Article I, Section 7, Clause 2.

• cited bySuggested
  House, January 30, 1869, ¶ 107

  The only imperative requirement of the yeas and nays under the Constitution is in regard to a veto, where a concurrent vote of two thirds of each House by yeas and nays is required. On all other questions requiring a two thirds vote, such as proposed amendments to the Constitution and relief from political disabilities, the Constitution does not command the vote to be…

  The Speaker names the requirement of the Constitution that the vote of each House on a vetoed bill be taken by yeas and nays; only Article I, Section 7, Clause 2 fits.

• quoted bySuggested
  House, April 13, 1965, ¶ 917

  The Constitution includes these same words where it says "in all such cases"-referring to a veto-­ "the vote of both Houses shall be determined by the yeas and nays," and so forth, as the amendment reads.

  The paragraph quotes words of Article I, Section 7, Clause 2.

• quoted bySuggested
  Senate, June 13, 1911, ¶ 225

  By the second paragraph of section 7, .Article I, of the Federal Constitution it is provided that: " Every bill which shall have passed the House of Representatives and the Senate shall, before it becomes a law, be presented to the President of the United States i if he approves he shall sign it," and the section continues in practically the same terms as those contained in section 17, article 2 of the Maryland constitution.

  The opinion the speaker reads names "the second paragraph of section 7, Article I, of the Federal Constitution" and quotes its opening.

• cited bySuggested
  Senate, March 15, 1962 (4), ¶ 5

  Thus, Senate Joint Resolution 29 is a legislative vehicle to further the constitutional process of lawmaking as provided for in article I, section 7, clause 2, of the U.S.

  The paragraph cites Article I, Section 7, Clause 2 of the Constitution by number.

• quoted bySuggested
  Senate, March 15, 1962 (4), ¶ 6

  …bill which shall have passed the House of Representatives and the Senate, shall, before it becomes a law, be presented to the President of the United States; if he approves he shall sign it, but if not he shall return it, with his objections to that House in which it shall have originated, who shall enter the objections it reached on their journal and proceed to reconsider it.

  The paragraph quotes Article I, Section 7, Clause 2.

The Supreme Court

Cases whose essays in the Constitution Annotated cite them under this clause, oldest first. Each link names the pages it comes from.

• interpreted bySuggested
  Immigration & Naturalization Service v. Chadha (1983)462 U.S. 919, decided June 23, 1983

  The Constitution Annotated's essays on this provision cite the case on 4 pages.

  Source: Constitution of the United States of America: Analysis and Interpretation (2022 ed.), essays ArtI.S7.C2.1, ArtI.S7.C2.3, ArtI.S7.C2.4, pp. 294, 298, 299, 300.

On Article I, Section 7 as a whole

• cited bySuggested
  Senate, March 15, 1962 (4), ¶ 12
• cited bySuggested
  Senate, March 15, 1962 (4), ¶ 14