House Overrides Bush Veto of Water Resources Development Act; Minnesota Unanimously Backs Override

Washington D.C. – The U.S. House of Representatives voted in favor of overriding President Bush’s veto of the Water Resources Development Act, with the Senate expected to take up the measure Wednesday.  It is the first successful House override of a Bush veto.

By a vote of 361-54, the required two-thirds majority was easily achieved. The $23 billion legislation was initially passed on Aug. 1 by a vote of 381 to 40. Thes Senate passed the bill on Sept. 27 by a vote of 81 to 12.

The bill authorizes projects that impact waterborne commerce and fund habitat and environmental projects.

Among the Minnesota projects authorized by the WRDA are several navigation projects on the North Shore of Lake Superior, three waste-water treatment projects in Northeast Minnesota and funds to construct an electrical barrier to keep Asian Carp from migrating north into Minnesota.

While seven of Minnesota’s eight representatives in Congress voted in favor of the veto override, the bill’s primary sponsor and chair of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, Democrat James Oberstar, missed the vote due to neck surgery.  Oberstar said he was disappointed that he was unable to manage the override effort.