Among them are an electronic barrier in the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal to block the spread of an invasive species of Asian carp into the Great Lakes, a new shipping lock at Sault Ste. Marie and millions of dollars for sewer projects in Michigan. It also would authorize $3 million for the Detroit riverfront and $20 million for a management plan to clean up Lake St. Clair and the St. Clair River.
“The strong bipartisan vote shows that we’ll fight to protect the Great Lakes from invasive species, and we’ll fight to help make our waters safe and clean,” said U.S. Sen. Carl Levin, who supported the bill along with his other Democratic colleague from Michigan, Sen. Debbie Stabenow.
Bush had said the legislation cost too much, but, in fact, it doesn’t appropriate any money to the projects. That would have to come through budget bills this year and in the future, if Congress decided to include the money. But it does set a list of priorities for the Army Corps of Engineers to consider going forward.
In both the House and Senate, supporters complained that there had not been a broad water-projects bill during the Bush term in office to date.
Among them are an electronic barrier in the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal to block the spread of an invasive species of Asian carp into the Great Lakes, a new shipping lock at Sault Ste. Marie and millions of dollars for sewer projects in Michigan. It also would authorize $3 million for the Detroit riverfront and $20 million for a management plan to clean up Lake St. Clair and the St. Clair River.
“The strong bipartisan vote shows that we’ll fight to protect the Great Lakes from invasive species, and we’ll fight to help make our waters safe and clean,” said U.S. Sen. Carl Levin, who supported the bill along with his other Democratic colleague from Michigan, Sen. Debbie Stabenow.
Bush had said the legislation cost too much, but, in fact, it doesn’t appropriate any money to the projects. That would have to come through budget bills this year and in the future, if Congress decided to include the money. But it does set a list of priorities for the Army Corps of Engineers to consider going forward.
In both the House and Senate, supporters complained that there had not been a broad water-projects bill during the Bush term in office to date.
As expected, the U.S. Senate today concluded the first-ever override of one of President George W. Bush’s vetoes, easily approving a bill full of water-related projects across the nation with bipartisan support.
The vote was 79-14 two days after the House overrode Bush’s veto of the Water Resources Development Act, which authorizes some $23 billion in projects, including many for the Great Lakes region and Michigan.
Among them are an electronic barrier in the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal to block the spread of an invasive species of Asian carp into the Great Lakes, a new shipping lock at Sault Ste. Marie and millions of dollars for sewer projects in Michigan. It also would authorize $3 million for the Detroit riverfront and $20 million for a management plan to clean up Lake St. Clair and the St. Clair River.
“The strong bipartisan vote shows that we’ll fight to protect the Great Lakes from invasive species, and we’ll fight to help make our waters safe and clean,” said U.S. Sen. Carl Levin, who supported the bill along with his other Democratic colleague from Michigan, Sen. Debbie Stabenow.
Bush had said the legislation cost too much, but, in fact, it doesn’t appropriate any money to the projects. That would have to come through budget bills this year and in the future, if Congress decided to include the money. But it does set a list of priorities for the Army Corps of Engineers to consider going forward.
In both the House and Senate, supporters complained that there had not been a broad water-projects bill during the Bush term in office to date.