House Passes Energy, Water Projects Bill - AP

House Passes Energy, Water Projects Bill

Tuesday July 17, 2007 11:46 PM

By ANDREW TAYLOR

Associated Press Writer

WASHINGTON (AP) - The House voted Tuesday to award increases
to programs aimed at making cars and buildings more energy
efficient and boosting research and development of alternative
energy sources.

By a 312-111 vote, the House passed a $32 billion measure funding
the Department of Energy budget and hundreds of Army Corps of
Engineers water projects.

The vote would in theory be large enough to overturn a promised
veto of the measure by President Bush, who requested about 4
percent less for programs covered by the measure.

But GOP leaders promise a veto could be sustained given the fact
that almost 150 Republicans have signed a letter promising to
uphold any of his vetoes of Democratic-drafted spending bills.

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