This measure seems far removed from the regulatory contexts in which the validity of the legislative veto has been litigated, but its legality is in doubt after Chadha.

While Mr Obama is President, he would veto any such bill. So the legislative path to "repeal and replace", as conservatives call it, hinges on winning back both the Senate and the White House.

The French firm expects that the bill will clear all further legislative hurdles, including the sign-off by the normally veto-prone governor, Arnold Schwarzenegger.