Insight into the Veto of WRDA

Bill Smith, Editor ARRA News: Today, many congress members. including the Arkansas delegation, are quickly issuing statements about President Bush's veto of the $23 billion Water Resources Development Act (H.R. 1495) was passed in the House by a vote of 381-40, and in the Senate by 81-12. The bill was to authorize projects, studies, policies, and programs related to the Army Corps of Engineers.

Rep. John Boozman (R-AR) said, “I must respectfully disagree with President Bush’s veto of this legislation providing needed investment in flood protection, environmental restoration, and navigation improvement projects for communities in the Third District, Arkansas, and the nation. WRDA maintains our waterways as a viable means of transportation, and allows our products to compete in a global economy. It also protects our homes and businesses from floods, while enhancing our quality of life by restoring aquatic ecosystems. This bill is an investment in America which has earned wide bipartisan support." Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) played to the crowd on apress release with her usual twists said, "By vetoing the Water Resources Development Act, President Bush is attempting to prohibit much-needed investments in our water infrastructure,at a time when many regions in our country face serious threats from natural disasters caused by flooding, storm surge, and hurricanes."

Why would President Bush veto a bill when he knows his veto will be easily overridden? Mr. Bush objected to the $9 billion in projects added during negotiations between the House and Senate. He hoped that his action, even though it is sure not to hold, would cast him as a friend to tax-payers who are demanding a tighter rein on federal spending. According to White House press secretary Dana Perino, President Bush vetoed the water projects bill because "it is fiscally irresponsible and is filled with hundreds of projects that lack any sense of merit." Perino says the president supports a bill that "prioritizes spending on projects with the greatest economic and environmental return to the nation." While Speaker Pelosi most Democrats jumped on the bandwagon to play to the crowd to criticize Bush veto of the WRMA, they all know that even if the bill was approved as written it only authorizes the projects; the actual funding must be approved separately.

However one voice of reason did call out from the Democrats. Sen. Russ Feingold, D-WI, not a supporter of President Bush, said, "The President's veto of the WRDA bill is a welcome opportunity for Congress to modify the flawed, bloated bill," he said. "Instead of trying to override the veto, Congress should take this opportunity to fix the bill. We must make sure that Americans' tax dollars are spent on the most important priorities, not just on members' pet projects." Sen. Feingold on Sept 24th spoke out opposing the conference report on the Water Resources Development Act. He said, "the conference report includes weak reforms. The Senate twice voted in support of strong reform language – when it passed WRDA bills earlier this year and last Congress. But the conference report we are about to vote on has been stripped of important safeguards that would ensure accountability and prevent the Corps from manipulating the process. We have compromised enough over the years. We can no longer afford a system that favors wasteful projects over the needs of the American people. . . . The final problem I want to highlight is that the conference report does not make sure that the Corps is accountable. The conference report eliminated a key provision in the Senate bill that ensured accountability." See also: Congress Set To Override Bush Water Veto Remarks of U.S. Senator Feingold on the Water Resources Development Act

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Tags: clean water, John Boozman, Nancy Pelosi, President George Bush, Russ Feingold, US Congress, veto, water, Water Resources Development Act To share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!