Despite a White House veto threat, the House has approved a bill that would authorize $6.4 billion for upgrades to public-school buildings around the country plus $500 million for school repairs in the hurricane-battered Gulf Coast. The vote on June 4 was 250-164, a margin that falls short of the two-thirds needed to override a presidential veto.
Besides the veto threat, there are other hurdles for the legislation. There is no companion bill yet in the Senate and even if the measure is enacted the authorized funds still would require annual appropriations.