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For Immediate Release |
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Contact: Murat Gokcigdem |
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Phone: (202) 225-8885 |
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November 8, 2007 |
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CONGRESSWOMAN JOHNSON LEADS LEGISLATIVE EFFORTS TO HAND PRESIDENT BUSH HIS FIRST VETO OVERRIDE
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HISTORIC VETO OVERRIDE SOLIDIFIES $298 MILLION AUTHORIZATION FOR TRINITY CORRIDOR
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Washington, D.C. - By a 79-14 vote, the Senate today completed the first override of a veto by President Bush, enacting a $23 billion Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) bill into law over his objections. The override had long been expected since the Senate approved the conference report on the bill by an 81 - 12 vote in late September. On Tuesday the House voted 361 - 54 to override the veto, setting the stage for today's Senate vote.
“The seven years we have waited to enact a Water Resources Bill has led to significant increases in costs to adequately address the nation’s deteriorating water resources and flood control infrastructure,” said Congresswoman Johnson. “I am delighted that Congress, over President Bush's objections, has finally enacted a Water Resources Development Act. This measure is critical to this country’s economic prosperity, job creation, protection of the environment, and public safety. I commend my Senate colleagues for a job well done. I especially want to applaud all of my colleagues from the Transportation & Infrastructure Committee, both Democrat and Republican alike, who unanimously voted for overriding the veto on Tuesday."
WRDA authorizes vitally important local projects for a wide array of water resources needs including water supply, flood control, navigation, and environmental restoration. In addition to new programmatic rules for the Army Corps of Engineers, the measure includes more than 900 flood control, navigation, and environmental restoration projects. One such project, written into the bill by Congresswoman Johnson, is designed to bolster the Trinity River Corridor. Specific components of the $298 million authorization include:
Levee raises / stabilization for additional flood protection for downtown Dallas;
Bridge modifications for additional flood protection and river meandering;
90-acre and a 60-acre flood conveyance lakes that will contribute to flood control, environmental restoration, and recreation;
Lake recharge system that will provide a reuse of wastewater treated discharge for water quality and recreation purposes;
Over 500 acres of new wetlands within the Dallas Floodway;
Trinity River meandering and riparian habitat to replace a previously straightened river channel; and
Improvements to the interior drainage system of pumping plants, flood storage areas (sumps), and storm water pressure sewers.
Today's culmination of veto override proceedings on the Water Resources Bill marks a watershed moment in the history of the United States Congress. Since the founding of the federal government in 1789, 36 of 43 Presidents have exercised their veto authority a total of 2,554 times. Congress has overridden these vetoes only 106 times—a meager success rate of only 4.2%.
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U.S. Representative Eddie Bernice Johnson is the highest-ranking Texan on the House Committee on Transportation & Infrastructure and a senior member of the Science Committee. She represents the 30th Congressional District of Texas, which, includes Downtown Dallas, Fair Park, Oak Lawn, Old East Dallas, Pleasant Grove, & South Oak Cliff; all of Balch Springs, DeSoto, Hutchins, Lancaster & Wilmer and parts of Cedar Hill, Duncanville, Ferris, Glenn Heights and Ovilla.
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