One way Trump could block the stimulus bill: A pocket veto

VOX ^ | By Li Zhou on December 23, 2020

[11th_VA]

With time running out before the end of Congress’s current session, there’s one tool that President Donald Trump could use to block a new stimulus bill without outright rejecting it: a pocket veto.

As Fox News reporter Chad Pergram explains, the name of this veto comes from presidents’ ability to effectively table bills and put them in their “pocket.”

As laid out in the Constitution, if the president does not sign a bill within 10 days of receiving it (excluding Sundays) and Congress adjourns during that time, the bill is considered vetoed...

[11th_VA]

So the bill was passed Monday, but the President hasn’t received it yet ... seems to be some controversy on when the clock starts ... can anyone post an authoritative source ?

[GraceG]

Dan bongino covered this today.

[Reno89519]

Congress doesn’t fully adjourn, so they would say the date doesn’t apply. They have not adjoined to prevent Trump from filling positions.

[11th_VA]

Another source:

December 23: Deadline to Block “Pocket Veto”

Congress needs to get the bill to Trump before Christmas Eve in order to block the “pocket veto” option, as congressional reporter Chad Pergram notes

The deadline just expired if true ...

[11th_VA]

The current congress ends Jan 3, 2021 11:59 AM

[11th_VA]

Dan bongino covered this today

What did Dan say ?

[TheBattman]

Pocket veto, the killing of legislation by a chief executive through a failure to act within a specified period following the adjournment of the legislature. In the United States, if the president does not sign a bill within 10 days of its passage by Congress, it automatically becomes law. However, if Congress adjourns within the 10-day period and the president does not sign the bill, it is automatically vetoed, and the veto is absolute. The latter action is referred to as a pocket veto.

[White Lives Matter]

So what did he say?

[11th_VA]

So the question on the table is, when did the 10 day period start ? Monday when both Houses passed the bill ? Or when the President RECEIVES the bill - lots of news sites are suggesting the latter.

[Fiddlstix]

Click The Pics & Text For Christmas Music

MERRY CHRISTMAS

[11th_VA]

Ah Ha - I have the answer. The clock starts when the bill is ‘enrolled’ - this bill is so massive, it’s going to take days:

... The resulting bill returns to the House and Senate for final approval. The Government Printing Office prints the revised bill in a process called enrolling. The President has 10 days to sign or veto the enrolled bill.

So unless the GAO got the bill to the Whitehouse a day ago, Pocket Veto is on the table

[chiller]

Mitch said that senators should be ready to return December 29 which suggests they will not adjourn

[SauronOfMordor]

Jan 4, this session of Congress ends, and a new session begins.

[11th_VA]

Congress adjourns Jan 3, 2021 at 11:59 am - that’s a hard date. New Congress begins at noon.

[DoodleDawg]

When does the government shutdown start?

[11th_VA]

CR ends Monday night (Dec 28); Congress could pass another CR, and likely will, but they can’t stop a pocket veto now.

Pelosi screwed this up by not compromising earlier in Dec. It’s like not calling a timeout when you’re at the opponent’s 1 yard line and the clock runs out.

The 2020 budget could conceivably be stuck at 2019 levels. Pelosi could lose her speakership for screwing this up.

[DoodleDawg]

Congress could pass another CR, and likely will,

Will Trump sign it?

Pelosi screwed this up by not compromising earlier in Dec. It’s like not calling a timeout when you’re at the opponent’s 1 yard line and the clock runs out.

Come Saturday when unemployment runs out and eviction holds run out and the checks don't start flowing it isn't Pelosi who is going to get the blame, it'll be McConnell.

The 2020 budget could conceivably be stuck at 2019 levels. Pelosi could lose her speakership for screwing this up.

She was just reelected Speaker for the next two years. She's safe.

[chiller]

yes but Mitch was implying they’d be back to override.

[11th_VA]

She was just reelected Speaker for the next two years.

she will need to secure a simple majority — 218 Democratic votes — by the full House of Representatives in January to be sworn in again as speaker.

[11th_VA]

yes but Mitch was implying they’d be back to override.

They will be back next week to override the NDAA, Trump Vetoed that bill yesterday. He’s not going to Veto the COVID bill - it dies if not signed by Jan 3 - and congress can’t override, because he won’t veto it.