What the President Can’t Do

The president is a leader. In the United States, the president is elected. He or she is elected every four years. How is the president elected? People vote for a president every four years. The president leads the country. But there is one thing he or she can’t do. What can’t the president do?

The president can’t make a new law. A law is a rule. The rules are to keep us safe. Some laws tell us what we can do. Other laws tell us what we can’t do. We have laws about cars, seatbelts, schools, food, helmets, and more.

A law starts with an idea. The idea may be new. The idea may be to change an old law. Only people in Congress can make a new law. Congress has two parts. One part is the Senate. The other part is the House of Representatives. People in the Senate are called senators. People in the House are called representatives. Senators and Representatives are elected. People vote for them.

First, someone in Congress writes a bill. Second, Congress votes on the bill. The House votes on the bill. The Senate votes on the bill. The bill must pass the Senate and the House. If it passes, the bill is sent to the president. The president can sign the bill. If the president signs the bill, the bill becomes a law.

The president may veto the bill. If a bill is vetoed, it is not signed. It does not become law unless something happens. Congress must override the veto. To override the veto, Congress must vote again. Two-thirds of both the House and Senate must vote to pass the bill again. If two-thirds vote for the new rule, the bill becomes a law.