Which action is required for a treaty to become binding on the United States?

Which action is required for a treaty to become binding on the United States?

• A. Senate approval is required for a treaty
• B. Executive order is required
• C. The House must approve
• D. The President decides alone

Answer: (A)

Treaties become binding on the United States only after the Senate gives its advice and consent by a two-thirds vote. The President can negotiate and sign, but the Senate’s approval is the essential step that makes a treaty legally operative for the country. The House has no role in ratifying treaties, and an executive order is not the mechanism for binding the United States to international obligations. Some treaties are self-executing and take effect as domestic law upon ratification, while others require implementing legislation to have legal effect in U.S. law.