In late September Congress sent the Water Resources Development Act (HR
1495) with veto-proof majorities in both chambers to the President’s
desk. On Friday he vetoed the bill, which would authorizing funding for
Army Corps of Engineers projects, including major projects for coastal
Louisiana, the Mississippi River, and the Florida Everglades. This is
Bush’s fifth veto of his presidency.
The House of Representatives is expected to vote tomorrow to override
the veto, and the Senate will follow suit this week. Top Republicans,
such as Rep. John L. Mica (Fla.), ranking member of the Transportation &
Infrastructure Committee (T&I), and Sen. James Inhofe (Ok.), ranking
member of the Environment & Public Works Committee, have vowed to help
override the veto.
Rep. James L. Oberstar (Minn.) and Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson (Tex.)
issued this T&I
statement:
It is simply irresponsible for President Bush to veto the only
WRDA legislation that has made it to his
desk since he took office. Our country cannot afford more setbacks on
water resources issues and projects that are critical to our Nation’s
economy, as well as to our communities.
As the experiences of the last few months have demonstrated, America’s
infrastructure is in dire need. Whether the issue is bridges that
collapse in Minnesota or levees that fail in New Orleans, our nation’s
infrastructure has reached a critical juncture and may be on the verge
of failure. How many more failures do we need before this
administration understands the importance of investing in the repair,
replacement, and sustainability of our nation’s infrastructure? The
American people’s lives and livelihoods depend on safe, reliable, and
dependable roads, bridges, levees, and navigation corridors.
Continue reading for a review of HR 1495.