[StBernard] Water bill supporters confident of override

[Westley Annis]

Water bill supporters confident of override
Posted by The TImes-Picayune November 02, 2007 9:10PM
By Bruce Alpert 
Washington bureau 

WASHINGTON -- Supporters of a bill that authorizes billions of dollars for
Louisiana coastal restoration and flood control projects will try next week
-- and likely succeed -- to override President Bush's veto. 

The $23 billion bill, passed by veto-proof majorities in the House and
Senate, provides financing for hundreds of projects nationwide and enjoys
strong bipartisan backing. Sen. David Vitter, R-La., said he's "100 percent
confident that we can override this veto." 

The veto, issued Friday, was the fifth of Bush's presidency. None of the
previous four has been overridden. 

The House is scheduled to vote on the override proposal Tuesday, and the
Senate could vote the following day. An override requires a two-thirds vote
by both houses. 

In his veto message, Bush said the bill "lacks fiscal discipline" and
finances so many projects that "it will hinder the Army Corps of Engineers'
ability to fulfill the nation's critical water resources needs." He listed
three priority projects starting with "hurricane protection for Greater New
Orleans," followed by flood damage reduction for Sacramento, Calif., and
restoration of the Florida Everglades. 

"I urge the Congress to send me a fiscally responsible bill that sets
priorities," Bush said. "Americans sent us to Washington to achieve results
and be good stewards of their hard-earned taxpayer dollars. This bill
violates that fundamental commitment." 


Sen. Mary Landrieu, D-La., said the bill doesn't appropriate money, and
Congress will be able to choose the priority projects that should be paid
for first. She predicted that Louisiana will have an advantage securing
required local funding requirements for corps projects as a result of a 2006
law giving coastal oil-producing states a share of offshore royalty
payments. 

"I think the veto of this bill says that the president is perhaps more
interested in trying to regain his lost leadership on fiscal responsibility
at the expense of critical infrastructure projects here in the United
States," Landrieu said. 

Bush didn't veto any spending bills passed by a Republican-led Congress, and
Landrieu said Americans will have a hard time understanding how he could
veto a "bill as important" as this one, known as WRDA, while continuing to
support expensive infrastructure projects in Iraq. 

Blanco, Jindal weigh in 

Gov. Kathleen Blanco, expressing disappointment with the veto, said the
projects authorized in the water resources bill "will give our people
confidence the federal (levee) failures of 2005 will not happen again." 

Even some of the president's staunchest supporters issued statements Friday
saying they will desert him on next week's veto override votes. 

"While I have supported President Bush on many occasions, I must
respectfully disagree with his veto of this important and long-overdue water
resources development bill," said Rep. John Mica, R-Fla. 

Gov.-elect Bobby Jindal said he will return to Washington next week to vote
on the WRDA override. He plans to give up his U.S. House seat shortly after
he is sworn in as governor on Jan. 14. 

Jindal, R-Kenner, said he looks forward to the successful override vote and
ending "this stalemate that has delayed these funds from being sent to our
state." 

Flood control costly 

The $23 billion bill originally listed about $3.6 billion for Louisiana. But
the Congressional Budget Office estimated that projects such as boosting
flood control in metro New Orleans to provide protection against a "100-year
storm," which previously was not subject to cost estimates, will almost
double the amount of Louisiana funding authorized in the bill. 

Among the biggest projects authorized in the giant bill: $1.9 billion for
coastal restoration projects in Louisiana and $886 million for a 72-mile
system of levees and floodwalls -- called the Morganza to the Gulf levee --
to shield Terrebonne and Lafourche parishes from Gulf storms. 

The bill also authorizes $100 million for hurricane protection in Jean
Lafitte and lower Jefferson Parish and $85 million for a loan fund to help
private facilities move as a result of the closure of the Mississippi
River-Gulf Outlet and $75 million for relocation assistance for public
facilities affected by the closure. The Gulf Outlet is blamed for damaging
adjacent wetlands and increasing storm surge in St. Bernard Parish and the
Lower 9th Ward during Hurricane Katrina. 

The bill calls on the Army Corps of Engineers to complete work on an
environmental impact statement for the $764 million Inner Harbor
Navigational Canal Replacement Lock by July to comply with a court order
holding up the project. The Port of New Orleans says the project is needed
to speed traffic and keep the port competitive, but some New Orleans
community groups, backed by the national Taxpayers for Common Sense, say the
project is too expensive and environmentally disruptive. 

Veto denounced 

Bush's veto won rare praise Friday from one of his most vocal congressional
critics, Sen. Russ Feingold. The Wisconsin Democrat, who has led efforts to
force the withdrawal of troops from Iraq, said Bush's veto is "a welcome
opportunity" to pare down the "flawed, bloated" WRDA bill. 

"We must make sure that Americans tax dollars are spent on the most
important priorities, not just on members' pet projects," Feingold said. 

But most members chose to denounce the veto. 

Sen. Barbara Boxer, D-Calif., chairwoman of the Senate Environment and
Public Works Committee, said the legislation was put together in bipartisan
fashion and authorizes projects that are vital to many communities, most
especially New Orleans. 

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., said that for New Orleans, "where the
damage is already done, WRDA is essential to rebuilding that great city." 

Rep. Charlie Melancon, D-Napoleonville, said it's been seven years since
Congress approved a water resources bill, despite the substantial needs
demonstrated by the devastation caused by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. 

"Every day WRDA is delayed is another day that Louisianians in Terrebonne
and Lafourche remain unprotected from storms because we haven't broken
ground on Morganza," Melancon said. "Every year that we don't pass a WRDA
bill is another year that Louisiana's coastal wetlands wash away even
further because we haven't begun work on the comprehensive coastal
restoration plan being developed by the state and the corps. And every
hurricane season that goes by without WRDA becoming law is another season
that the citizens of St. Bernard and New Orleans remain more vulnerable to
deadly storm surges because the MR-GO hasn't been closed." 

Bruce Alpert can be reached at bruce.alpert at newhouse.com or (202)¤383-7861.