The veto has not been a significant political weapon used by President Barack Obama during his two and a half years in office.

 

Obama has issued a total of just two vetoes since taking office, an average of one veto every 435 days. This average is the lowest since President James Garfield in 1881, according to Smart Politics at the University of Minnesota.

 

The two vetoes were a stopgap appropriations bill on December 30, 2009, and a housing foreclosure bill on October 7, 2010.

 

Supporters of Obama can point to the fact that for the first 700 days of his administration, Democrats controlled Congress, which reduced the likelihood of disagreement. However, when compared to past presidents who served while their party controlled Congress, Obama’s veto average is still remarkably low.

 

·       Democrat Franklin Roosevelt vetoed one bill every 7 days

·       Republican Teddy Roosevelt vetoed one bill every 33 days

·       Republican William McKinley vetoed one bill every 39 days

·       Republican Calvin Coolidge vetoed one bill every 41 days

·       Democrat John Kennedy vetoed one bill every 49 days

·       Democrat Lyndon Johnson vetoed one bill every 63 days

·       Republican Warren Harding vetoed one bill every 147 days

 

And why was it that, 130 years ago, James Garfield issued no vetoes during his presidency? Probably because he served for only 200 days, after which he was assassinated.

-Noel Brinkerhoff

 

Obama the Most Veto-Shy President Since James Garfield (by Eric Ostermeier, Smart Politics)