WASHINGTON, D.C. — As expected, President Bush exercised his presidential veto Friday to block legislation that called for the construction of seven new locks and dams on the Illinois and upper Mississippi rivers. Now it’s up to Congress to turn back the veto on the 2007 Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) through a congressional override.

Officials from national corn and soybean organizations, whose members could reap benefits in terms of improved global competitiveness with the construction of new, wider locks, were quick to denounce the president’s action and issue a call to arms to its constituency. “Members of the National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) do not plan to take the president’s veto lightly,” remarked Ron Litterer, president of the 32,000-member organization. “We are rallying our members and will wage an all-out grassroots campaign to override the veto.”

Litterer said WRDA is “absolutely crucial” to United States farmers who depend on the river system to deliver crops to the Gulf of Mexico for export, as well as to producers of other commodities who rely on the waterways. “As it stands, our infrastructure cannot keep pace and is falling apart,” he warned.

An NCGA “action alert” was issued to its members encouraging them to contact their elected legislators to urge them to overturn the presidential veto, which could happen as early as today (Nov. 7). The House and Senate must separately override the veto by a margin of two-to-one.

The American Soybean Assoc. (ASA) is asking all U.S. farmers to utilize their online Legislative Action Center to send e-mails to Congress urging them to overturn the veto.

Along with NCGA and other organizations, ASA and its members have worked for years to secure passage of the bill they call vital to the future of the U.S. ag industry.

“Soybean growers appreciate the bipartisan efforts of Congress to pass this legislation and urge members to take the final step needed so America’s waterways will receive long-overdue improvements,” stated John Hoffman, president of the 24,000-member ASA. “More than 75 percent of U.S. soybean exports move to world ports through the upper Mississippi and Illinois river systems, so WRDA is key to soybean growers.”

The House voted 381-40 in favor of the WRDA conference report, while the Senate voted 81-12 in favor last month before passing the $23 million bill to Bush, who had previously indicated he would veto the bill due to its costliness.

“While the president’s action is disappointing, our members are optimistic that Congress will have the final word on WRDA and override the veto,” said Illinois Farm Bureau president Philip Nelson. “The value of Illinois agricultural exports continues to climb, and we are in competition with South American producers to efficiently serve customers in Europe and Asia.

“In that respect, our waterways are as vital of a transportation link as our roads or rails.”

Sen. Tom Harkin (D-Iowa) issued a statement denouncing the president’s veto of WRDA, saying he was upset – but not surprised – at the decision. “President Bush has repeatedly threatened to veto legislation that addresses the priorities of American citizens, and WRDA is no different ... I am appalled that President Bush rejected this bipartisan legislation. If he refuses to support improvements to America’s water resources infrastructure, then the Congress will override his veto to meet the country’s needs,” Harkin said.

Rep. Ray LaHood (R- Ill.) told news sources shortly before the veto that the “veto-proof” bill would be enacted into law with or without the president’s approval. “This bill will become law very soon,” he said. Rep. Phil Hare (D-Ill.) was also confident there will be enough votes in Congress to overrule Bush’s veto. “President Bush’s ill-advised decision is only a temporary setback,” he said.