In swift rebuff, House overrides Bush veto of farm bill
Republicans broke with White House on the measure
WASHINGTON - The House easily overrode President Bush's veto of a $307 billion farm bill last night, handing him the most significant legislative rebuff of his presidency after Republicans broke with the White House en masse to side with farm groups, antihunger advocates, and the biofuels industry.
With a Senate override vote all but guaranteed, Congress prepared to deliver only the second veto override of Bush's presidency and the first on a major piece of legislation.
Yesterday's events left Republicans arguing publicly over another lapse in their commitment to fiscal discipline. As with the first veto override, which saved the Water Resources Development Act last year, lawmakers of both parties stepped in to save a law that promised to shower billions of dollars on key constituents and home-district programs.
"The vote on the farm bill has definitely been a challenge, if you look at it as regaining our fiscal brand," said Representative Eric Cantor, Republican of Virginia and a member of the GOP leadership.
Bush vetoed the 673-page bill at midday, declaring that "Americans sent us to Washington to achieve results and be good stewards of their hard-earned taxpayer dollars. This bill violates that fundamental commitment." Bush objected to subsidies for wealthy agribusinesses at a time of high food prices and record farm income.
Hours later, the House voted 316 to 108 to override the veto, with 100 Republicans siding with 216 Democrats. The Senate voted last week, 81 to 15, to approve the farm bill. The Senate is expected to take up the override today.
"The principal purpose of agriculture policy in the United States is to guarantee we're not as dependent on other countries for our food as we are for our fuel," declared the House Republican Conference chairman, Representative Adam Putnam of Florida, who broke not only with Bush but also with the House minority leader, John Boehner of Ohio, and the presumptive Republican nominee, Senator John McCain of Arizona, who opposes a bill he has called wasteful.
For House Republicans, grappling with plunging political fortunes that include three consecutive special election losses in traditionally Republican districts, the farm bill was particularly divisive. GOP leaders have encouraged the rank and file to help the party regain the mantle of small-government fiscal discipline, a mantra of the McCain campaign.
"We can say what we want at press conferences or in slogans, but what we do on the floor screams far louder," said Representative Jeff Flake, Republican of Arizona and a McCain ally and farm bill opponent.
At the same time, party moderates have been urging their colleagues to oppose Bush at every opportunity or face electoral disaster in November.
"If I was a farm belt guy, I would be all over my district now, saying, 'I stood with you, not the party of the president,' " said Representative Tom Davis, Republican of Virginia, who wrote to GOP leaders last week, urging them to defy Bush or at least allow rank-and-file members to save themselves.
The five-year measure is stuffed with billions of dollars of new money for anti-hunger programs, conservation programs, fruit and vegetable growers and the biofuels industry.
