Senate Overrides Bush Veto For First Time

In a rebuke of President Bush, the Senate Thursday enacted a water resources bill, despite Bush’s earlier veto of the measure.

The override vote was 79-14, effectively enacting a $23 billion water resources bill. The measure primarily focuses on hurricane protection, flood mitigation and wetlands restoration.

The vote was the first successful override of the Bush presidency.

The bill contained a variety of pet projects for lawmakers in both parties, which helps explain why so many lawmakers voted against the president.

The House voted 361-54 to override the veto on Thursday, with both votes easily surpassing the two-thirds majority needed in each chamber to negate a presidential veto.

After going five years without vetoing a single bill, Bush’s veto pen now stands to get a lot more use with Democrats back in control of Congress and set to send a slew of spending bills down Pennsylvania Ave.

Democrats, however, should not get too cocky, as this appears to be the only veto override where they have the votes in their favor in the near future.