President Donald Trump used his first two vetoes of his second term to block the Finish the Arkansas Valley Conduit Act — a unanimously approved bill to deliver safe drinking water to 39 Colorado communities — and a $14 million measure to protect Osceola Camp in Florida's Everglades. Trump said he vetoed the measures to avoid "expensive and unreliable" taxpayer commitments and to oppose projects he described as special interests. Rep. Lauren Boebert, sponsor of the water bill, called the veto political retaliation amid disputes over ally Tina Peters. It remains unclear whether Congress will attempt to override the vetoes.
Trump Vetoes Unanimously Approved Colorado Water Bill and $14M Everglades Measure in First Second‑Term Vetoes
U.S. Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-CO) walks, on the day of the House Rules Committee's hearing on U.S. President Donald Trump's plan for extensive tax cuts, on Capitol Hill, in Washington, D.C., U.S., May 21, 2025. REUTERS/Nathan Howard
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump issued his first two vetoes of his second term on Dec. 30, blocking a long‑planned Colorado drinking‑water project and a $14 million measure to protect a Miccosukee tribe site in Florida's Everglades.
The White House announced that Mr. Trump vetoed the Finish the Arkansas Valley Conduit (AVC) Act — a bill that had been approved unanimously by both the House and Senate to complete a decades‑long effort to bring safe drinking water to 39 communities on Colorado's Eastern Plains. The administration also rejected a separate measure that would have funded protections for Osceola Camp inside Everglades National Park, a site inhabited by members of the Miccosukee tribe.
Colorado Veto Draws Bipartisan Surprise
The AVC project is designed to address high salinity and occasional radioactivity in groundwater that affects dozens of rural communities. In his veto letter to Congress, Mr. Trump argued the bill would lead to "expensive and unreliable policies" and said he wanted to avoid committing American taxpayers to such costs.
"We will not support projects for special interests," the administration said regarding measures it considers misaligned with its priorities.
Rep. Lauren Boebert (R‑Colo.), sponsor of the AVC bill, immediately condemned the veto on X, calling the legislation "completely non‑controversial" and suggested the move may be political retaliation tied to ongoing disputes in Colorado involving Mr. Trump's ally Tina Peters.
Tina Peters And The Pardon Question
Peters, a former county clerk in Colorado, is serving a nine‑year state prison sentence after being convicted of illegally tampering with voting machines following the 2020 election. Mr. Trump issued a federal pardon that would cover only federal charges; state officials have said the pardon does not compel Colorado to release her.
Everglades Measure And Tribal Dispute
The second veto rejects funding intended to protect Osceola Camp, an area in Everglades National Park where members of the Miccosukee tribe live. The tribe had opposed an improvised migrant detention facility nicknamed "Alligator Alcatraz" that was later ordered closed by a federal judge. The White House said the tribe was never authorized to inhabit the camp area and framed the veto as opposition to funding it as a special interest project.
It was not immediately clear whether congressional leaders would attempt or allow votes to override either veto. Lawmakers can pursue override votes, which require a two‑thirds majority in both chambers to succeed.
(Reporting by Andrea Shalal and Kanishka Singh; Editing by Caitlin Webber and Lincoln Feast.)
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