Trump Uses First Vetoes Since Return, Rejects Everglades Measure and Colorado Water Pipeline

President Donald Trump this week used his veto power for the first time since returning to the White House, rejecting two bipartisan bills: one that would have expanded Miccosukee Tribe authority over a portion of the Florida Everglades and another designed to ease completion and repayment terms for a long-planned water pipeline in southeastern Colorado.

Overview

The White House announced on X that Mr. Trump vetoed both measures on Monday after they were delivered to his desk earlier this month. Each bill passed the House and Senate via voice votes and would require two-thirds majorities in both chambers to override the vetoes. Presidential vetoes are relatively uncommon, particularly when the president's party controls Congress. For context, Mr. Trump issued 10 vetoes in his first term (mostly in its final two years); former President Joe Biden issued 13 vetoes while in office.

Everglades Bill Blocked Amid Immigration Dispute

The Miccosukee Reserved Area Amendments Act would have added the small settlement known as Osceola Camp to a portion of the Florida Everglades under Miccosukee Tribe control and directed the Department of the Interior to take steps to protect structures there from flooding.

The measure had bipartisan sponsors, including Florida Republican Sens. Rick Scott and Ashley Moody, Republican Rep. Carlos Gimenez and Democratic Rep. Darren Soto. Supporters argued the bill was about public safety, environmental stewardship and recognizing longstanding tribal interests.

In a message to Congress, Mr. Trump said the project benefited "special interests" and accused the Miccosukee Tribe of opposing his immigration policies. The president noted the tribe joined a lawsuit earlier this year challenging an immigration detention center in the Everglades — a facility critics have nicknamed "Alligator Alcatraz" — and said the settlement was created without proper authorization, arguing the federal government should not pay to remedy issues on land it says the tribe was unauthorized to occupy.

The Miccosukee Tribe said it was "disappointed" by the veto and denied seeking to obstruct the president's immigration agenda. Miccosukee Chairman Talbert Cypress said the tribe's actions have aimed to ensure environmental due diligence and protect federal restoration investments. Rep. Darren Soto called the veto "revenge" for the tribe's opposition to the detention center and characterized the move as a violation of tribal sovereignty.

Colorado Water Bill Vetoed Over Federal Spending Concerns

The other bill, the Finish the Arkansas Valley Conduit Act, would have adjusted repayment terms and reduced interest burdens for local governments to help finish a decades-old water pipeline project that could serve roughly 50,000 residents in southeastern Colorado.

First proposed during the Kennedy administration, the project stalled in part because earlier federal law required local communities to bear the full cost. A 2009 law changed the formula so local governments would pay about 35% of construction costs; this year's bill would have further eased repayment terms amid rising costs and extended timelines.

Mr. Trump vetoed the bill as part of a stated effort to curb what he called "taxpayer handouts," pointing to a U.S. Bureau of Reclamation 2023 estimate that the project's cost could be about $1.4 billion — roughly double projections from several years earlier. He argued the legislation would shift more of the burden to federal taxpayers for what he described as a largely local project.

The measure had bipartisan backing from Colorado's two Democratic senators and Republican Reps. Lauren Boebert and Jeff Hurd, who represent areas that would benefit. Local officials blasted the veto. Rep. Boebert called it "very disappointing" and said she hoped the move was not politically motivated. Sen. John Hickenlooper said the president was "playing partisan games" and punishing Colorado; Sen. Michael Bennet accused the president of placing personal and political grievances ahead of the needs of Americans.

What's Next

Neither veto is final. Both bills could still become law if Congress overrides the president with two-thirds majorities in both the House and the Senate — a difficult threshold, especially given the bipartisan but limited support the measures garnered via voice votes.

Why it matters: The vetoes highlight tensions between federal spending priorities, tribal sovereignty and immigration policy, and they underscore the political challenges of advancing regional infrastructure projects even when they attract bipartisan local support.