
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: FRIDAY, June 8, 1990                   TAG: 9006080177
SECTION: NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL                    PAGE: A4   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: 
DATELINE: WASHINGTON                                LENGTH: Short

HOUSE VOTES TO OVERRIDE BUSH VETO

The House voted 294-123 Thursday to override President Bush's veto of a bill authorizing $2 billion for Amtrak, but Senate Republicans stalled efforts to slap President Bush with his first veto override.

Senate Democrats began debating the override shortly after it passed the House, but GOP leader Bob Dole of Kansas refused to allow a vote this week, saying five Republicans were absent.

"The trains are going to run whether we do this today, next Wednesday or a week from Wednesday," he said.

Bush has said he supports federal aid for Amtrak. Democrats said his veto shows he really wants to scuttle the national rail passenger line.

A two-thirds majority of both houses is required to turn back a presidential veto; the House vote met that criterion.

None of Bush's vetoes was overridden in his first year in office; the Amtrak veto was his first this year.

- Associated Press

by CNB