Article 1, Section 7, US Constitution

[krispos42]

All bills for raising Revenue shall originate in the House of Representatives; but the Senate may propose or concur with Amendments as on other Bills.

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 States; 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 enter the Objections at large on their Journal, and proceed to reconsider it. If after such Reconsideration two thirds of that House shall agree to pass the Bill, it shall be sent, together with the Objections, to the other House, by which it shall likewise be reconsidered, and if approved by two thirds of that House, it shall become a Law. But in all such Cases 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 on the Journal of each House respectively. If any Bill shall not be returned by the President within ten Days (Sundays excepted) after it shall have been presented to him, the Same shall be a Law, in like Manner as if he had signed it, unless the Congress by their Adjournment prevent its Return, in which Case it shall not be a Law.

Every Order, Resolution, or Vote to which the Concurrence of the Senate and House of Representatives may be necessary (except on a question of Adjournment) shall be presented to the President of the United States; and before the Same shall take Effect, shall be approved by him, or being disapproved by him, shall be repassed by two thirds of the Senate and House of Representatives, according to the Rules and Limitations prescribed in the Case of a Bill.

"Returned" in this case is called "vetoed" in modern times.


Obama said we would not sign a bill unless it had a public option. Turns out he doesn't have to. He can simply leave the bill on his desk and it becomes law as long as Congress re-convenes after New Year's Day.

He can keep his campaign and presidential pledges and this bill can still become law. No signing ceremony. He can let the bill become law while covering his butt and providing a point to launch political and PR attacks against the bill for the purposes of future changes and reform.

Just keep this in mind.

Edited to fix dumbass mistake!

[optimator]

1. he doesn't give a shit about keeping promises

he will sign the bill.

[krispos42]

4. He may well sign it.

The PR imagry would be intense, one way or another.

I'm just pointing out an option that I've not seen mentioned yet, and that would let him lay the groundwork for rallying the liberal base and pushing for future action for further reform and improvement.

[FreakinDJ]

2. No wonder they call us "Conspiracy Theorist"

[Freddie Stubbs]

3. Did he ever say that he would not sign a bill that lacked a public option?

I know that he said that he was in favor of it, but as far as I am aware he never demanded it either.

[tekisui]

6. That is the whole problem.

Had he demanded it, he would have gotten it.

[Unvanguard]

9. If he had demanded it--if he had said "public option or veto"--we would have gotten nothing.

Lieberman or Nelson or Landrieu or one of the other conservatives in the Democratic caucus would have killed it. The liberals wanted this passed a whole lot more than they did; that meant they had the bargaining power. Obama's role was immaterial.

[freddie mertz]

20. You don't know that.

The absence of presidential initiative was not the only option.

He could have tried harder, and rallied people behind him.

He chose to concede before the battle was even joined.

[treestar]

28. This is true

Whoever wants something done is at a disadvantage in the Senate. Whoever wants nothing done has the upper hand.

[krispos42]

10. Apparantly he did.

http://thinkprogress.org/2009/12/22/obama-repeatedly-touted-public/

– In the 2008 Obama-Biden health care plan on the campaign’s website, candidate Obama promised that “any American will have the opportunity to enroll in new public plan.” <2008>

– During a speech at the American Medical Association, President Obama told thousands of doctors that one of the plans included in the new health insurance exchanges “needs to be a public option that will give people a broader range of choices and inject competition into the health care market.” <6/15/09>

– While speaking to the nation during his weekly address, the President said that “any plan” he signs “must include…a public option.” <7/17/09>

– During a conference call with progressive bloggers, the President said he continues “to believe that a robust public option would be the best way to go.” <7/20/09>

– Obama told NBC’s David Gregory that a public option “should be a part of this ,” while rebuking claims that the plan was “dead.” <9/20/09>

[tekisui]

5. I think you have it backwards. It is called a 'pocket veto'

if he doesn't sign it in 10 days and Congress is adjourned. If Congress is in session and he didn't sign it for within 10 days, it would be law.

[Unvanguard]

11. I think that's the idea. Make the bill law, but avoid actually signing it. n/t

[tekisui]

14. Right, but Congress won't be in session, so it will not be law.

It will be a pocket veto.

[krispos42]

13. You're right,I meant "convene" not "ajourn"

:dunce:


I fixed it.

Thanks!

[asdjrocky]

7. Loopholes...

The refuge of scoundrels.

[Jeff In Milwaukee]

8. Unless Congress adjourns before then ten days expire...

then if the President doesn't sign the bill, it is effectively vetoed.

[tekisui]

12. Pocket Veto

http://www.c-span.org/guide/congress/glossary/pktveto.htm

[Jeff In Milwaukee]

16. The only and only....

I think there's a misconception that the President MUST sign legislation and that by not signing, it's considered a veto.

[VMI Dem]

15. This is the plan that Obama wanted all along.

He will happily sign it.

[johnaries]

17. The problem is that this is not a "revenue" bill. Although there are

provisions for raising revenue, they are only to pay for the other provisions and are secondary to the main body of the bill itself.

If the President doesn't sign it, it would be a pocket veto.

[krispos42]

22. The process would seem to be independent of the type of bill, though

The word "revenue" only appears in the first paragraph.

[mkultra]

18. as if anyone who wants progress really gives a shit

I just want improvement. Constant improvement. If he has to go back on a spoken campaign promise to get things rolling then i dont really care. Ideological arguments are for pedantics.

[freddie mertz]

19. But I'm sure he wants a shiny signing ceremony. nt.

[onenote]

21. If anyone thinks that Obama isn't going to actually sign HCR if it passes

I have a wonderful bridge I'd like to sell you.

It will be signed. With pomp and circumstance.

A gazillion dollars says so.

[krispos42]

23. I'll bet one one shiny italian lira...

...but only one! :-)


He's been hands-off, so he MIGHT neither sign nor veto it, but it's such a big thing he probably will sign it.

[niceypoo]

24. "Obama said we would not sign a bill unless it had a public option"

I can find no such statement from Obama, can you please provide a link to it?

[dave29]

25. umm, he will sign the bill in February

.

[cherokeeprogressive]

26. Not signing the bill would rob a whole lot of people of the benefit of having themselves be seen

at the Signing Ceremony. President Obama included.

The bill will be signed with as much fanfare as can be mustered. I predict that it will be signed on live television, with the possible exception of Fox.

[Jamastiene]

27. Another simple loophole I've been thinking of,

in regards to the anti-choice amendments. The health insurance coverage could be altered to cover anesthesia, IV drips and everything up to the abortion, but not the final procedure of the abortion itself, and technically still satisfy the Hyde Amendment.

It would still cover all the generic actions routine in any operation (IV drip, prepping the patient, etc.) or medical procedure, reduce the amount the woman would have to pay, and still be unconstitutional enough to satisfy the Blue Dogs.

The anti-choice amendments added in this bill are redundant.