Simple English definitions for legal terms
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Overridden Veto: When the President of the United States rejects a bill passed by Congress, it is called a veto. However, if two-thirds of both the House of Representatives and the Senate vote to pass the bill anyway, the veto is overridden and the bill becomes a law. This means that the President's decision to reject the bill is ignored and the bill is passed anyway.
Definition: An overridden veto occurs when a legislative body votes to pass a bill into law despite the president or governor's veto.
Example: In 2016, the U.S. Congress overrode President Obama's veto of the Justice Against Sponsors of Terrorism Act (JASTA), which allowed families of 9/11 victims to sue Saudi Arabia for any role it may have had in the attacks. The veto override required a two-thirds majority vote in both the House of Representatives and the Senate.
Explanation: This example illustrates how an overridden veto works in practice. Despite President Obama's objections, Congress was able to pass the JASTA bill into law by overriding his veto. This is a powerful tool that allows the legislative branch to enact laws even if the executive branch disagrees with them.