Democratic Congressman Joe Baca (CD 43) issued the following press release following the US House vote last week. Baca, along with 360 of his Congressional colleagues, voted to successfully override President Bush's veto of much-needed water infrastructure improvement legislation.

The Congressional vote was the first successful Congressional override of a President George W. Bush veto. Joe Baca is San Bernardino County's lone Democratic representative in Washington.

Here is Congressman Baca's release:

Today, Rep. Joe Baca (D-Rialto) joined a strong bipartisan majority in the House of Representatives in overriding the President’s veto of H.R. 1495, the Water Resources Development Act. 
The motion to override the President’s veto gained the two-thirds majority needed, and passed the House of Representatives with a 361 - 54 vote.

H.R. 1495 includes funding for water studies in the 43rd Congressional District requested by Rep. Baca.  The studies will be carried out by the Army Corps of Engineers, and focus on water contamination, drainage, and flood control.  The bill was originally passed by both the House and Senate this spring, and was vetoed by President Bush last week.   

“The projects funded in this bill will protect the health, safety and quality of life in our communities,” said Congressman Baca.  “I am pleased that the House was able to come together in a bipartisan fashion and override the President’s misguided veto of this critical public health legislation.”

The Water Resources Development Act includes funding for the following four project requests made by Rep. Baca:

• The Inland Empire Groundwater Remediation Investigation.  This project directs the Army Corps of Engineers to investigate the source of perchlorate contamination in public drinking water supplies in the Rialto, Fontana, and Colton areas.

• Funding to the City of Colton for improvements to the Colton Drainage System.  This project directs the Corps to carry out the City of Colton’s 3-5 Storm Drain System project for flood damage reduction.

• Funding to the City of Ontario for the Francis Street Storm Drain and Connectors Project.  This project, also requested by Rep. Gary Miller, directs the Corps to carry out the Francis Street Storm Drain flood damage reduction project in Ontario and Chino.

• Funding to the City of Rialto for the Lytle Creek Groundwater Recharge Project.  This project directs the Corps to undertake a master planning study for the City of Rialto that will identify and quantify the need for flood control and groundwater recharge in the Lytle Creek.

“Cleaning up water sources in the Inland Empire has been a top priority of mine in Congress,” said Rep. Baca.  “These projects are important in making sure drinking water in the 43rd Congressional District is safe and clean and ensuring our area has the proper resources to deal with excess water and flood damage.”

Besides authorizing local water and flood control projects, H.R. 1495 creates jobs and authorizes crucial safety and security initiatives that would prevent flooding of the magnitude seen during Hurricane Katrina by building and repairing floodwalls and levees throughout the nation.

“The President’s veto of H.R. 1495 serves as one more example of this Administration’s misplaced priorities,” concluded Rep. Baca.  “The President continues to spend $10 billion every month in Iraq, yet he refuses to spend the money necessary to ensure every family in America has access to safe drinking water, or to make sure another disaster like Katrina never happens again.  My Democratic colleagues and I will continue to fight for the real needs of the American people.”

The motion to override the President’s veto of H.R. 1495 will next come up in the U.S. Senate.  If the motion passes by a two-thirds majority, the legislation then will become law.