Jump To:

• pocket veto
  pocket veto

  noun

  a veto of a bill brought about by the president's failure to sign it within ten days of the adjournment of Congress.
• pocket-veto
  pocket-veto

  verb (used with object)

  to veto (a bill) by exercising a pocket veto.

pocket veto

¹ American  

noun

1. a veto of a bill brought about by the president's failure to sign it within ten days of the adjournment of Congress.

2. a similar action on the part of any legislative executive.

---

pocket-veto ² American  

[pok-it-vee-toh] / ˈpɒk ɪtˌvi toʊ /

verb (used with object)

pocket-vetoed, pocket-vetoing

1. to veto (a bill) by exercising a pocket veto.

---

pocket veto British  

noun

1. the action of the President in retaining unsigned a bill passed by Congress within the last ten days of a session and thus causing it to die

2. any similar action by a state governor or other chief executive

---

pocket veto Cultural  

1. An automatic veto of a bill that occurs if the president or governor neither signs nor vetoes a bill within ten days of receiving it — as long as the legislature adjourns during that period. If the legislature convenes during that period, the bill will automatically become law. A pocket veto cannot be overridden by the legislature, though the bill can be reintroduced at the next legislative session.

---

pocket veto Idioms  

1. The implied veto of a bill by the President of the United States or by a state governor or other executive who simply holds the bill without signing it until the legislature has adjourned. For example, The President used the pocket veto to kill the crime bill. This expression dates from the 1830s and alludes to putting the unsigned bill inside one's pocket.

---

Etymology

Origin of pocket veto

An Americanism dating back to 1835–45

---

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

pocket veto pocket-veto pocket-vetoed

He said the governor’s pocket veto came “out of nowhere.”

From Washington Times ● Jan. 5, 2021

Depending on when Congress sends the package to the White House, Trump could also choose to pocket veto the legislation, meaning the bill would die once the next session of Congress begins on January 3.

From Salon ● Dec. 24, 2020

The silence amounted to a pocket veto of the proposal.

From New York Times ● Feb. 12, 2020

Moreover, in a letter in June 1833, he wrote to Senator Henry Clay over the withholding of a land act as a type of pocket veto.

From BBC ● Feb. 5, 2020

This is called "pocketing" a bill, or "the pocket veto."

From Studies in Civics by J. T. (James Thompson) McCleary

But Dulles & Co. preferred to pocket-veto the whole thing rather than fight out the nomination before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

From Time Magazine Archive

At issue: what Ted Kennedy called the President's "promiscuous use of the pocket-veto power."

From Time Magazine Archive

INDIANA: Governor McCray announced that he would pocket-veto a bill passed by the Assembly, providing a bonus of $10 for each month of service for veterans of the World War or the war with Spain.

From Time Magazine Archive

Congress passed his bill to have the United States retain and operate its power and nitrate plants at Muscle Shoals, Ala. President Coolidge killed the bill by pocket-veto.

From Time Magazine Archive

Lincoln pocket-vetoed this bill while Congress was out of session.

From Slate ● Oct. 27, 2017

Gov. Chris Christie pocket-vetoed the measure in January.

From Slate ● Oct. 27, 2016

A bill for government operation of Muscle Shoals he pocket-vetoed.

From Time Magazine Archive

He pocket-vetoed a Muscle Shoals measure calling for Federal instead of private operation.

From Time Magazine Archive

Two years ago Congress passed legislation for the Government to operate its own property, only to have the bill pocket-vetoed by President Coolidge.

From Time Magazine Archive

Random Word

Spin the wheel and learn a new word!

---