WASHINGTON — Six of the nine members of the Colorado congressional delegation voted to override President Bush’s water-projects veto.
“I am disappointed the president did not sign this bill because he understands the problems we face in the West with water quality and scarcity,” said Rep. Marilyn Musgrave, R-Colo. “Congress has been working on this bill for several years now; it is not like it was just slammed through like other recent bills.”
Musgrave was the sole Republican in the delegation to vote against the president.
Musgrave and Colorado Democratic Reps. Diana DeGette, Mark Udall, John Salazar and Ed Perlmutter voted to override. Rep. Doug Lamborn, R-Colo., voted against the override. Rep. Tom Tancredo, R-Colo., did not vote. In the Senate, Sen. Ken Salazar, D-Colo., voted to override and Sen. Wayne Allard, R-Colo., opposed the override.
The package authorizes more than $120 million for Colorado, including $10 million for a Boulder pipeline and $79 million for construction of the Arkansas Valley Conduit.
The projects still must be funded through a separate appropriations process on which the House and Senate must agree and send to President Bush.
Staff writer Christa Marshall contributed to this report.
