WASHINGTON (AP) — Democratic leaders in
Congress on Friday sent President Bush a veto-proof bill to authorize
spending $23 billion in water projects, having waited more than a month
to request his signature on a measure he has threatened to veto.Democrats have more than the two-thirds majority
votes in both chambers of Congress needed to override Bush if he vetoes
the bill. The Senate passed it on Sept. 24 by a vote of 81-12; the
House passed it Aug. 1 by a vote of 381-40.An override would mark the first such loss for Bush and could cast him in a more politically vulnerable light.
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The legislation authorizes $3.6 billion for major wetlands and other
coastal restoration, flood control and dredging projects for Louisiana,
a state where coastal erosion and storms have resulted in the
disappearance of huge areas of land.