If you’d like background on how vetoes, veto threats, and Statements of Administration Policy work, please see my background post: Understanding vetoes, veto threats & SAPs.
The Administration issued a senior advisors veto threat on the Boehner bill on Tuesday. The SAP was only two sentences long:
The Administration strongly opposes House passage of the amendment in the nature of a substitute to S. 627. If S. 627 is presented to the President, the President’s senior advisors would recommend that he veto this bill.
This includes the standard “strongly oppose” language plus the veto threat. That’s fairly common.
Two things struck me about this threat:
- It was issued the morning after the President’s televised address to the Nation, in which he made no mention of a veto threat;
- The senior advisors veto threat suggests an opening.
I think the White House has been hoping that Speaker Boehner would be unable to rally House Republicans to pass his bill. Leader Reid would then have leverage to push his bill through the House and Senate or force a negotiated compromise.
