Congress Nears First Bush Veto Override

$23.2B Water Projects Bill Addresses Vital Infrastructure Needs Like Bridges, Levees And Dams

(AP)  The House approved what could become the first override of a President Bush veto Tuesday, with Republicans joining Democrats in challenging the president over a $23.2 billion water resources bill that addresses pressing infrastructure needs while offering hundreds of home district projects.

"I must respectfully disagree with President Bush's veto of this important and long overdue water resources development act," said Rep. John Mica, R-Fla., the top Republican on the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, in explaining the rare rebellion of the GOP faithful toward the president.

The vote was 361-54, well over the two-thirds majority needed to negate a presidential veto. The Senate, which approved the bill 81-12 in September, could cast its override vote as early as Wednesday.

House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, D-Md., said Bush's argument that the bill is fiscally irresponsible rings hollow when the White House is asking for an additional $200 billion for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. "Fiscally responsible people maintain their infrastructure," he said. "Fiscally responsible people know that clean water and safe harbors aid our commerce and the health of our people."

Asked whether the veto override was essentially a crack in the dam - the first in perhaps a string of veto overrides as Bush's power wanes - White House spokeswoman Dana Perino said: "We'll see about that."

"One thing that the president would like to do is to make sure that he's on the right side of federal taxpayers," Perino said. "And that's what he's doing with this veto."

Bush did not veto a single bill during the first five years of his presidency, when Congress was mainly in GOP hands. He has since vetoed a stem cell research bill twice, an Iraq spending bill that set guidelines for troop withdrawal and a children's health insurance bill. He vetoed the Water Resources Development Act, or WRDA, on Nov. 2, saying it was too expensive.

Since Democrats gained control of Congress in January, Bush has issued dozens of veto threats, warning he will veto annual spending bills that go beyond his budget levels. As Congress winds down for the year, veto threats hang over a $288 billion farm bill the Senate is considering and new attempts to come up with a children's health insurance bill.

The Water Resources Development Act includes hundreds of Army Corps of Engineers projects, although a large chunk of the proposed funding would go to the hurricane-hit Gulf Coast and the Florida Everglades.

Lawmakers from both parties representing those areas stressed that Bush was misguided in trying to kill the bill. "Without a Water Resources Development Act, which is seven years overdue, we are seeing our coastline disappear," said Rep. Charles Boustany, R-La.

The few critics pointed out that the Army Corps now has a backlog of $58 billion worth of projects and an annual budget of only about $2 billion to address them. "We simply can't continue to add to the backlog of projects that are already out there," said Rep. Jeff Flake., R-Ariz.

The bill, the first water system restoration and flood control authorization passed by Congress since 2000, would cost $11.2 billion over the next four years and $12 billion in the 10 years after that, according to the Congressional Budget Office.

Flood protection projects along the Gulf Coast, including a 100-year levee protection in New Orleans, would cost about $7 billion if fully funded. The bill approves projects but does not fund them.

It would authorize the construction of navigation improvements for the Upper Mississippi River, at an estimated federal cost of $1.9 billion, and an ecosystem restoration project for the Upper Mississippi costing $1.7 billion.

The Indian River Lagoon project in the Florida Everglades would be funded at about $700 million.

Addressing the issue of wastefulness in past Army Corps projects, the bill calls for an independent peer review process of all Corps projects costing $45 million or more.

The Senate is expected to approve the veto override by a comfortable margin. Last month, some 20 Senate Republicans, including conservatives such as David Vitter, R-La., and Elizabeth Dole, R-N.C., wrote Bush urging him to support the bill. "Hurricane Katrina and the Interstate 35 bridge collapse in Minnesota are two recent examples of the dangers in under-investing in our nation's key infrastructure," they wrote.

[diverdown555]

The problems in Iraq have been beyond Bush Chemey since very shortly after the Iraqi Army folded like a bunch of school girls. Then the situation was taken over by the Bureaucrat/Liberal candy a--es who are afraid to try working in the real world and prefer to take the welfare with dignity that is their paycheck from the gov. And they effed it up as usual with the give it all away mentality

[forthepeopl1]

now that china and russia and iran are freinds with cuba and are working very close to drill for oil and set up a arms deal with them...great job bush/rice/congress.

cant wait until bush and cheney come out with their own state of emergency in our country..and they will thats why cheney was the one behide black water..

its going to be his private army..because real troops will not protect them they will help us take our country back..but black water will kill anyone for money..and the 1 billion dollars that we the people gave them tax free, they make 200.000 thousand tax free dollars and are troops get payed 24000 tax dollars for doing more..

so great job americans keep closeing your eyes...

[realpatriot1]

rokero69,

Don''t worry, he won''t be coming back to Texas. Once his political career is over he won''t need the ranch and cowboy hat.

Besides, he can be extradited from Texas; he''ll be heading for his new ranch that Jenna bought for him in Paraguay(no extradition treaty with the U.S.or the Hague).

[rokero69]

NOOOOooo.. we dont want him back in TEXAS!!!!!

[simonsez40]

Bush did not veto a single bill during the first five years of his presidency, when Congress was mainly in GOP hands. He has since vetoed a stem cell research bill twice, an Iraq spending bill that set guidelines for troop withdrawal and a children''s health insurance bill. He vetoed the Water Resources Development Act, or WRDA, on Nov. 2, saying it was too expensive.

I see Bush if it isn''t profitable or a REPUG bill then you Veto it? Moron! The Uniter WHATEVER........this bozo needs to be impeached!

[DaveGress]

Take solice, the villiage of Crawford will soon have their idiot back.

[watcher269-2009]

I say that maybe its GOOD that bush didn''t try to maintain the US infrastructure - after all look at Iraq - with all the Billions of Dollars that was spent there by Bushit and Cheney to fix their infrastructure and the complete and total mess that is - I say we are better off that B&C didn''t focus on the US.

Just think how F***ed up we''d be then!!!!

[missingamerica]

You took the thoughts right out of my head, Baileycc.

Must not be any profit for Bush''s cronies.

[danstoned]

"I must respectfully disagree with President Bush''''s veto of this important and long overdue water resources development act," said Rep. John Mica, R-Fla.

Time for Florible to rid itself of anyone that insinuates respect for GW Bush. Florible Rep. John Mica (R) is part of the problem with America, not the solution. This loyal Florible fascist has got to go!