The Winona Daily News wants Coleman, Klobuchar and Walz to make sure the overiride of Bush's veto of the Water Resources Act sticks in Congress gets another chance at water bill:
Congress, especially our representatives (Sens. Amy Klobuchar and Norm Coleman and Rep. Tim Walz) have a chance at redemption. Instead of the silly pandering and politics that we’ve seen from the Beltway, we’d like to see them override this veto so that cities like Goodview can get on with other important issues facing them, like flood recovery and clean-up.
We’re hoping the partisan politics which have so far seemed at play in this legislation will be momentarily set aside to actually get something accomplished (gasp!).
What’s gotten in the way of successfully passing legislation isn’t philosophical differences or moral principles. It’s politics plain and simple, and politics on both sides. It happens when a president whose legacy might just be enormous debt decides to take the cheap way out of a domestic water bill. It happens when congressional leaders hold up a bill because of strategic timing.
Today's Washington Post reports that On Water Bill, House Votes to Override Bush Veto. All of Minnesota's representatives voted to override the veto. The Post reports:
The vote could put Republicans in an awkward position as Bush confronts Democrats in the coming weeks over spending bills that the president says are too generous. It could also complicate the stalemate over bipartisan efforts to expand the State Children's Health Insurance Program.
Many of the same Republican lawmakers who voted yesterday to save what Bush called a bloated water projects bill will have to make the case that bills to fund health care, education, local law enforcement and other Democratic domestic priorities are too expensive.
The editorial board of the Worthington Globe is grumpy as well, though about Kucinich's Cheney impeachment gambit in Congress hits another low. They conclude:
It’s been no secret that Kucinich has wanted to impeach Cheney, but it’s also been well documented that he doesn’t have enough support in key places to make it happen. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, through her spokesman, said “impeachment is off the table” and that Congress is focused on other areas.
The White House, as to be expected, saw Tuesday’s activities differently, saying Democrats would rather not face important issues such as children’s health insurance and preferred to “waste an afternoon on an impeachment vote against the vice president.” That’s one way of looking at it. Yes, a Democrat moved foolishly to set the impeachment debate in motion — on Election Day, too — at a time where there are important legislative reponsibilities, but it was Republicans (seeking to score political points) who wanted to prolong matters, instead of simply voting no. Congress may now become less popular yet.
Over at IDHA, the inimitable DJ calls the Kucinich match on the House floor. More excitement than regional pro wrestling in Sleepy Eye Good Thunder. [update] Mr. Danielson wrote to tell us that he has never called a pro wrestling match in Sleepy Eye. We bewail our error of fact and most truly and earnestly repent. [end update]
The Mankato Free Press editorial board asks Congress to get a move on with the funding in Congress needs budget deadline. The board finds the problem to be habitual:
For the past several years, Congress, whichever party is in control, has gone past, significantly so in some cases, the Oct. 1 deadline that starts the new federal fiscal year. One study, done by Philip Joyce, a budget expert and teacher at George Washington University, shows Congress has passed all of its budget bills on time only four times since 1977, according to an article in the Washington Post.
Yesterday, the Free Press looked at the dilemma posed by the Clean Water Restoration Act in They’re still wetlands and still need protection. The board concludes:
Congress is moving to address the problem with the Clean Water Restoration Act of 2007. As written, it will simply reaffirm the traditional scope and purpose of the Clean Water Act and would not expand it.
Debate on the bill will be strong. Some will undoubtedly oppose it, arguing it unduly blocks development and increases pollution-control costs; others will undoubtedly try to expand the scope of the original Clean Water Act.
The bill should, at the least, maintain the protections on what have for 35 years been considered protected wetlands.
Even with protection, wetlands continue to deteriorate and disappear. Removing much of them from protection would needlessly harm water supplies and habitat.
We're looking to see what language is included in the bill when it reaches its committee mark-up.
The Dodge County Independent adds to the coverage off Walz's meeting with the milk producers in Durst Brothers Dairy host Congressman Walz:
Durst Brothers Dairy of rural Mantorville hosted a farm visit by First District Congressman Tim Walz last Monday. The meeting was sponsored by the National Milk Producers Federation and the U.S. Dairy Export Council.
The forum was set up to help give Congressman Walz direction on the development of farm and domestic dairy policy, issues like international trade policy and its impacts on the dairy industry in Minnesota and nationwide.
Congressman Walz pointed to the audience and commented that after being in office for only six months he was looking for input from the dairy farmer to get reliable information and opinion before making any policy commitments.
The Minnesota dairy production industry is a $6.5 billion dollar business responsible for 55,435 jobs in the state. Noting that is quite an economic impact, Walz has made a commitment to fighting for a strong US dairy industry and fair and balanced trade. He said it is very difficult to get the Farm Bill passed because it takes 50 states to agree on the bill.
Moo.
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