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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.

U.S. Constitution Article I, Section 7, Clause 2

  1. If Sundays don't count, and this is in excess of a week long, such that a Sunday must fall in this span of time (sometimes twice), does this mean the 10 days can actually span 11-12 calendar days?
           1 
12 345678 90 <- Eligible days
FSUMTWHFSUMT

     111 



123456789012 <- Calendar days 
FSUMTWHFSUMT
  ^      ^
  |      |
  |      +- No returning on Sunday
  +- No returning on Sunday
  1. Or does it only mean no returning bills on Sunday? So you actually run outa time to return in 9 calendar days if the bill was presented on a Friday.
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1234567890  
FSUMTWHFSU
  ^     ^^
  |     ||
  |     |+- No returning on Sunday
  |     +- Last day you can return
  +- No returning on Sunday
candied_orange
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1 Answers1

20

This clause has been interpreted to simply not count Sundays towards the 10-day time limit within which the President must return a bill to Congress in order to effect a veto.

See e.g. House Practice, Chapter 57, "Veto of Bills":

The 10-day period given the President under the Constitution in which to approve or reject a bill begins at midnight at the close of the day on which the bill is presented to him. The day on which the bill is presented to the President is not counted in the computation, and Sundays also are excluded.

Drafting history

On August 6, 1787, the draft version of this clause read "within seven days."

On August 15, 1787, this was amended to the current language, without debate or comment.

Jen
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