EDITORIAL – Congress finally overrides Bush veto

President Bush suffered a major defeat last week when Congress voted to override his veto of… President Bush suffered a major defeat last week when Congress voted to override his veto of a water resources bill. This was the first time in Bush’s seven-year presidency that Congress managed to overturn a veto.

The Senate voted 79 to 14 on Thursday to approve the Water Resources Development Act that authorizes spending for 900 projects throughout the country.

These projects include hurricane recovery endeavors in Louisiana, environmental rejuvenation in the Florida Everglades and flood management in California, according to The New York Times. The bill does not actually appropriate money for these efforts, but it authorizes future funding through spending bills.

But the issue is not really whether or not this piece of legislation is necessary or whether or not it will be beneficial to states in the future. The issue is that Congress has finally managed to pull together and stand up to the President. There’s a first time for everything, but this first came very late.

Overturning presidential vetoes is Congress’ right. It’s one of the ways we can be sure the power of the executive branch is checked and limited, making it all the more appalling that Congress has managed only to do this once.

While it is true that, in general, Bush did not veto many bills during his term in office, Congress’ ability to override vetoes is nonetheless a sure sign of its authority and a sign that the president is not the only “decider.”

Sen. Benjamin L. Cardin, D-Md., told The New York Times that “This override is a clear indication that the Congress, by an overwhelming vote, believes that we need to invest in our own country, here, that we have to invest in the future.” We hope so.

Congress should continue to assert its authority from here on out, and on issues that are more pressing and important to the American public – issues like the Iraq War.

Congress has a habit of rolling over when it comes to war spending bills, despite the fact that the majority of the American public is opposed to the war. Americans voted to allow the Democrats to gain control of Congress last year because they were unsatisfied with the president’s leadership.

But instead of listening to their constituents, Congressional officials allow the president to go ahead with his unpopular war plans.

With any luck, the override of the water resources bill will give way to more overrides, particularly when it comes to war legislation.

It is also worth noting that the Republicans are clearly not afraid to stand up against the president. Sen. James Inhofe, R-Okla., one of the most conservative members of the Senate, told Voice of America that he voted to overturn the bill because he believes the president has been “ill-advised in this case.”

He was one of 34 Senate Republicans who joined the Democrats in voting to override Bush’s veto.

Our only disapproval with this is that it should happen more often.