Pocket veto

A pocket veto is defined as a veto caused by lack of action. The term is usually applied in a policy-making context where, for example, a law passed by a governing body fails to become law when the executive officer decides to ignore it. The law dies since it was not signed (agreed to) by the president/governor. To illustrate, Abe Lincoln pocket vetoed the Wade-Davis Bill after the Civil War to make his plan for reconstruction of the South easier.

I’ve seen the’ pocket veto’ idea applied in a business context as well. A company strategy, for example, is agreed to in an executive staff meeting, but later the strategy implementation fails due to a ‘pocket veto’ by some key member of the group. It can be applied in an academic context, for example, when a journal reviewer simply returns a paper’s review containing only its title—i.e. no comment.

Ask the learners in your class about the ‘pocket veto’ idea and if they have ever used the concept in their life in some way. My mother used it frequently while I was growing up. She ignored what I considered at the time to be legitimate requests by saying, “We’ll see.” That was a code phrase for “Fat Chance,” “No Way Jose,” etc.

Can Christians “pocket veto” God’s law? Ezekiel12:28 says that “nothing of what [God] says is on hold”. We can choose to ignore God’s Word, or disrespect it by not acting on it, but that does not negate its truth. We cannot get away with pocket vetoing the Lord’s commands. Take action today!