The folks over at Dulles Metro extension are breaking out the construction tools … and the credit cards.

$900 million of the $2.83 billion price tag of the initial 11.6-mile leg is in that Transportation Department spending bill tied up in Congress and under threat of veto by President Bush.

But with or without the money, officials plan to start work, reports The Examiner.

Is it just us, or does this violate everything you ever learned about wise money management?

The bill also contains money to improve the 14th Street Bridge (you know, the one with all the potholes?), but there’s no word on whether DDOT plans to start spending before the president does his thing and signs the legislation, reports WTOP.

If (OK, it’s more like “when”) the president vetoes the legislation, it will go back to the House and Senate for an override vote. If those chambers fail to override (which Virginia Rep. Jim Moran says is likely) it will go back to committee for renegotiation. In this case that is likely to include a downsizing of funds. The House and Senate will then vote on it again and send it back to the president. At this point, one would hope, he will sign it into law. If he does not, the song and dance will begin yet again.

Photo by elf26

Filed Under: Amy Doolittle, amydoolittle, armorymetrorail, breaking, Bush, congress, construction, dance, Dulles Metro, dullesmetro, homelesswalkathon, house, houstondynamo, jim moran, jimmoran, law, legislation, metro, mlschampionship, money, newenglandrevolution, photos, President Bush, presidentbush, Street Bridge, streetbridge, the examiner, The House, theadamsmorgan, theexaminer, thehouse, thelink, transportation, Transportation Department, transportationdepartment, unionstation, ustreet, virginia, Virginia Rep, virginiarep, washingtonnationals, weekendmetro, woodleyparkmetro,