Certified Government Financial Manager (CGFM) 2025 – 400 Free Practice Questions to Pass the Exam

Congress can override the President's veto with a two-thirds majority vote in both houses. This high threshold is designed to ensure that only legislation with significant support can become law despite the President's objections. The reasoning behind requiring a two-thirds majority reflects the principle of checks and balances, ensuring that both the legislative and executive branches of government have substantial input in the lawmaking process.

A simple majority, while sufficient to pass many types of legislation, does not provide the same level of consensus required to counteract a presidential veto. Similarly, aiming for a three-fourths majority or a unanimous vote would set an exceedingly high bar that could result in legislative gridlock, as achieving such levels of agreement is often unrealistic in a diverse legislative environment. Thus, the two-thirds requirement strikes a balance, allowing Congress to assert its legislative authority when there is substantial bipartisan support for a bill, even in the face of a presidential veto.