White House Issues 2 Veto Threats Ahead of State of the Union

President Barack Obama is heading into his seventh State of the Union address tonight with improving poll numbers and an awakening economy. Tuesday afternoon he added to that two veto threats, made within five minutes of each other.

The first threat was issued against H.R. 161, which would provide automatic approval of proposed natural gas pipelines if federal agencies did not issue permits within a specified timeline.

The second and more controversial threat was issued over H.R. 36, a 20-week abortion ban. (The 20-week marker refers to a widely-disputed theory of when infants can feel pain.)

The bill passed the House last year under significant controversy over its lack of exceptions for rape and incest, with the bill’s sponsor Representative Trent Franks (R-AZ) dancing over a claim that “the incidence of rape resulting in pregnancy are very low” and Representative Michael Burgess (R-TX) freestyling on masturbating fetuses.

H.R. 36 floundered in a Harry Reid (D-NV) controlled Senate, but sponsor Lindsey Graham (R-SC) believes it will fare better under new Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY).

Obama has threatened to make use of his veto pen, which he has hitherto barely touched, in the face of a GOP-controlled Congress.

Text of the HR 36 veto threat is below:

[Image via LaMarr McDaniel / Shutterstock.com]

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