A successful override of a presidential veto is a rare spectacle indeed, since it requires a difficult two-thirds majority vote in both the House and Senate. Since 1789 there has been a total of 1,533 regular vetoes with only 112 vetoes being overridden, according to the U.S. Senate. There have also been 1,066 pocket vetoes since 1789, but those cannot be overridden. A pocket veto is when a president does not sign a bill within the ten days allotted him to review it, but Congress adjourns before the time is up. Essentially, the president put it in his pocket and forgot about it. Why formally veto it and give Congress a chance to override it if members are soon leaving town?
The president does not have a line-item veto power. It’s all or nothing when deciding whether to sign or veto a bill that reaches his desk. Forty-four of the 50 state governors do have this power, however, and it is a very viable tool to rein in spending.
