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Politics

Bush may flex his veto power

He's only rejected one bill, but with Democrats now in charge in Congress, that could change.

WASHINGTON - President Bush has vetoed just one bill in nearly six years in office. That soon may change.

As Democrats forge ahead with their own agenda, some items may make it to his desk as prime candidates for veto.

One might be a recycled version of the stem-cell funding bill that drew Bush's lone veto in July. Other possibilities include measures that would raise the minimum wage without offsetting tax breaks for businesses, fully put in place the Sept. 11 commission's recommendations and curb oil-industry subsidies.

The Democratic takeover of Congress and the planned 100-hour burst of legislation sent parliamentary experts in both the administration and Congress scurrying to dust off the manual on vetoes and to brace for a possible onslaught.

In the new Congress, promises of bipartisanship still fill the air. Such pledges, however, may be put to the test in no time.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., have signaled that the days of a free hand are over for the Republican president.

In the November elections, voters "rejected an open-ended obligation to a war without end" in Iraq, Pelosi said. For Reid, "no issue in this country is more important than finding an end to this intractable war."

There have been 2,551 presidential vetoes since George Washington became president in 1789. Only 106 have been overridden.

Bush will seek common ground with Democrats on issues such as the minimum wage, education legislation and immigration overhaul, but "he won't hesitate to veto things he doesn't like," GOP strategist Charlie Black said.

"I don't think there will be very many things he has to veto. But if he does, he'll certainly be able to sustain them," said Black, who is close to the White House.

While reaching out to Democrats, Bush also made it clear he will not abandon goals such as resisting efforts to roll back his tax cuts and supporting the fragile Iraqi government. He also emphasizes that the majority party can push through its bills but "the Constitution leaves it to the president to use his judgment whether they should be signed into law."

In the Senate, the Democratic advantage is just 51-49, made up of 49 Democrats and two independents who usually vote along with the Democrats. In the House, the Democrat-Republican breakdown is 233-202.

Once a president vetoes a bill, lawmakers have 10 days (excluding Sundays) to override it. That takes a two-third majority of those present and voting in both chambers. If all 100 senators vote, a veto-override requires 67. If all 435 House members are voting, 290 votes are needed.

Bush's one veto is a little misleading: He has made more than 140 veto threats since taking office.

In many cases, Republican leaders just modified the legislation to make it more to Bush's liking. In other instances, he added "signing statements" flagging parts he disputed on constitutional grounds.

Presidential vetoes

George W. Bush (2001-present): one veto, not overridden

Bill Clinton (1993-2001): 37 vetoes, two overridden

George Bush (1989-93): 44 vetoes, one overridden

Ronald Reagan (1981-89): 78 vetoes, nine overridden

Jimmy Carter (1977-81): 31 vetoes, two overridden

Gerald Ford (1974-77): 66 vetoes, 12 overridden

Richard Nixon (1969-74): 43 vetoes, seven overridden

Lyndon Johnson (1963-69): 30 vetoes, none overridden

John F. Kennedy (1961-63): 21 vetoes, none overridden

Dwight Eisenhower (1953-61): 181 vetoes, two overridden

Harry Truman (1945-53), 250 vetoes, 12 overridden

Franklin D. Roosevelt (1933-45): 635 vetoes, nine overridden

[Last modified January 7, 2007, 00:45:42]