Representative Lauren Boebert accused President Trump of political retaliation after he vetoed a unanimously approved bill to fund a decades‑long drinking water project serving 39 communities in Southeast Colorado. The region faces high‑salinity groundwater and occasional radioactive contamination in wells. Trump framed the veto as opposition to taxpayer funding for "expensive and unreliable policies," and he vetoed a second $14 million Everglades project for the Miccosukee Tribe on similar grounds. Observers linked the Colorado veto to tensions over Boebert’s push for Epstein files and the administration’s conflicts with Colorado over Tina Peters.
Boebert Alleges Political Retaliation After Trump Vetoes Colorado Water Bill
Lauren Boebert on Capitol Hill in Washington in 2023.Photograph: Patrick Semansky/AP
Republican Representative Lauren Boebert accused President Trump of political retaliation after he vetoed legislation that would have funded a decades-long drinking water project for 39 communities on Colorado’s eastern plains.
What the Bill Would Have Done
The bipartisan measure aimed to finance long‑running efforts to bring safe drinking water to roughly 50,000 residents in Southeast Colorado. Local groundwater in those communities is high in salt and, in some wells, tests have detected traces of radioactive contamination — problems advocates said the project would address over many years.
The Veto And The White House Rationale
President Trump issued the veto on Tuesday. In his veto letter to Congress he wrote that his administration is "committed to preventing American taxpayers from funding expensive and unreliable policies" and argued that "ending the massive cost of taxpayer handouts and restoring fiscal sanity is vital to economic growth and the fiscal health of the Nation."
Boebert: "I sincerely hope this veto has nothing to do with political retaliation for calling out corruption and demanding accountability."
Boebert’s Response And Political Context
Boebert called the project "completely non‑controversial," noting that it had passed both the House and Senate unanimously earlier this year. She publicly suggested the veto might be linked to her recent pressure on the administration to release Justice Department files related to the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
Observers also pointed to broader tensions between the administration and Colorado after the state kept Tina Peters, an ally of Trump, in custody despite the president's recent effort to issue a pardon. Peters, a former county clerk, is serving a nine‑year state sentence following a conviction on charges related to tampering with voting equipment in the 2020 election; state convictions are not covered by a presidential pardon for federal offenses.
Related Veto: Florida Everglades Project
Trump also vetoed a second bill providing about $14 million for conservation and protection of Osceola Camp within Everglades National Park, a site inhabited by members of the Miccosukee Tribe. The White House said it would not support projects serving what it described as "special interests," particularly those it views as "unaligned" with its immigration policies. The tribe has opposed the administration's makeshift immigrant detention site nicknamed "Alligator Alcatraz," a facility a federal judge later ordered closed.
What Happens Next
These two vetoes were the first of the president’s second term. It was not immediately clear whether congressional Republican leaders would bring the Colorado veto up for an override vote. Boebert was among four Republican lawmakers who helped force the release of Justice Department documents on Epstein, a move the White House initially opposed before dropping its resistance.
Note: The Guardian requested comment from Boebert; she did not immediately respond.
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