President Joe Biden (D) vetoed the third bill of his presidency on May 16, 2023. Biden vetoed H.J.Res.39, a joint resolution of disapproval under the terms of the Congressional Review Act (CRA) that sought to void a Department of Commerce rule suspending some tariffs on solar panel imports.
In his veto message, Biden said, “I vetoed H.J. Res. 39 because we cannot afford to create new uncertainty for American businesses and workers in the solar industry. We can and must strengthen our energy security by maintaining our focus on expanding U.S. capacity that is ready to come on line as this temporary bridge concludes in June 2024.”
Overriding a presidential veto requires a two-thirds majority vote in both chambers of Congress. The House of Representatives and Senate both passed the resolution by a simple majority.
The House of Representatives voted 221-202 to approve the resolution on April 28. The Senate voted 56-41 to approve the resolution on May 3. Rep. Bill Posey (R-Fla.) introduced the resolution on March 7.
President Ronald Reagan (R) issued the most vetoes (87) of all presidents since 1981. Biden, with three vetoes, has issued the fewest. President Donald Trump (R) issued the second-fewest vetoes (9) within this timeframe.
Presidents have issued 2,586 vetoes in American history. Congress has overridden 112. President Franklin D. Roosevelt vetoed 635 bills, the most of any president. Presidents John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, John Q. Adams, William H. Harrison, Zachary Taylor, Millard Fillmore, and James A. Garfield did not issue any vetoes.
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