Pocket Veto

White House reported The adjournment of the Congress has prevented my return of H.R. 1585 within the meaning of Article I, section 7, clause 2 of the Constitution. Accordingly, my withholding of approval from the bill precludes its becoming law. The Pocket Veto Case, 279 U.S. 655 (1929). In addition to withholding my signature and thereby invoking my constitutional power to "pocket veto" bills during an adjournment of the Congress, I am also sending H.R. 1585 to the Clerk of the House of Representatives, along with this memorandum setting forth my objections, to avoid unnecessary litigation about the non-enactment of the bill that results from my withholding approval and to leave no doubt that the bill is being vetoed.

Thus Bush is saying he is using the pocket veto to veto H.R. 1585, the "National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008," with it pay raises for the military, because of what it might do to Iraqi funds. But the Pocket Veto will not work, because the Senate has been holding Pro Forma sessions

Daily Kos

so the law will go into effect, and the military will get its raises, and it will appear his has lost, but it will be easy for him to make sure the Iraqi funds are just not in American banks, which will make European bankers happier with the US. Pelosi and Reid will think they won, but Bush will have played them all for suckers.