All too often voting in Congress comes down to politics. Time and again votes are cast according partisan lines, especially when it comes to environmental legislation.

But in a recent environmental vote, 63 Republicans — including Rep. Jim Leach from Iowa — broke ranks with their party leaders and voted for what they considered was right.

The 63 votes was enough to tip the scale in favor of preserving the Environmental Protection Agency’s authority to enforce rules against hazardous emissions from sewage plants and industrial sites.

Several national polls have indicated that the American public is not interested in limiting the EPA’s authority in this area, and despite the partisan stances that often occur in these issues, several Republicans felt it was necessary to listen to the public in this case.

What a nice thing to hear about for a change: Congressional leaders who put party lines and politics aside to vote how the public wants them to.

Why doesn’t this happen more often?