Federal Legislative History: Presidential Statements

After a bill passes both houses of Congress, one of three actions may occur: approval, no action, or veto. Messages or statements issued when the President either vetoes or signs legislation are important sources of legislative history. Presidential Statements are printed in various sources such as the Congressional Record, Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents, House and Senate Journals, and the Public Papers of the President of the United States. Veto messages are indexed in the Congressional Record, Congressional Index, and the CQ Weekly Report.