Editorial: Congress pushes back

Saturday, Nov. 10, 2007 | 7:58 a.m.

Congress has overwhelmingly voted to override President Bush's veto of a $23.2 billion water projects bill.

The question now is whether the House's 361-54 vote in favor of the override and the Senate's 79-14 vote on the measure - the first override of a Bush veto - show that Republicans have actually developed a spine in dealing with the president.

It also should be mentioned that Bush has used his veto power five times during his almost two terms in office - and only one of those when Congress was under Republican control.

Since Democrats have been in control of Congress, however, Bush has vetoed legislation to renew and expand a federal child health insurance program and an Iraq spending bill that set guidelines for bringing U.S. troops home. He twice vetoed legislation that would have expanded stem cell research, once in 2006 when Republicans controlled Congress.

Last week the president vetoed the Water Resources Development Act, which encompasses a variety of projects nationwide, including significant funding for flood control along the hurricane-damaged Gulf Coast and $50 million for a wastewater pipeline at Lake Mead that was championed by Rep. Shelley Berkley, D-Nev. The project will help restore wetlands, Berkley said Thursday.

In vetoing the water legislation last week, Bush called the bill fiscally irresponsible.

House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, D-Md., told The Washington Post in a story Wednesday that "fiscally responsible people maintain their infrastructure," adding that Bush hasn't hesitated to ask Congress for an additional $200 billion for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

It is good to see Congress has finally mustered the votes to override Bush's unreasonable veto of at least one important piece of legislation.

Nonetheless, it is a shame that, because of a few recalcitrant Republicans, Congress could not wield the same power when Bush vetoed important legislation to expand stem cell research and health insurance for needy children.

That Bush has exercised his veto power mostly when his party was not in control - and has not vetoed past spending bills that exceeded his budget requests - shows this is really about scoring partisan political points now that Democrats have a congressional majority.