NATION : House Overrides Veto of Bill Lifting Hatch Act Politics Ban
House voted today to override President Bush’s veto of a bill that would lift a 50-year-old ban on partisan political activity by federal employees.
The House re-passed the bill on a 327-93 vote and sent it to the Senate where supporters also were trying to muster the two-thirds vote necessary to override the President’s veto. The Senate, which originally passed the bill on a 67-30 vote, was scheduled to take up the veto Thursday.
The bill would allow 3 million federal workers to take part in nearly all political activities, except running for public office on a partisan ticket.
Bush’s disapproval of the Hatch Act bill was his 12th veto and Congress so far has been unable to override any of them. A 13th veto is expected shortly when he sends back the recently passed family medical leave bill.
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