Breaking: Trump Issues First Vetoes of Second Term, Rejecting Bipartisan Colorado Water Project and Florida Tribal Bill Amid Retaliation Claims
In his earliest use of the veto pen in his second term, President Donald Trump has blocked two unanimously passed bipartisan bills, including the Finish the Arkansas Valley Conduit Act—a long-delayed project to deliver clean drinking water to rural southeastern Colorado. The December 30, 2025, vetoes have sparked immediate backlash, with critics, including Republican sponsor Rep. Lauren Boebert and Democratic senators, accusing the president of partisan games and political retribution.
The Colorado bill, co-sponsored by Boebert (R-Colo.) and supported across party lines, would have eased repayment terms (no interest and extended timeline) for local communities’ share of the Arkansas Valley Conduit—a 130-mile pipeline first authorized in the 1960s to provide safe water to about 50,000 residents facing contaminated groundwater. It passed both the House and Senate by voice vote or unanimous consent, with over $200 million already invested federally.
Trump’s veto message called the project “economically unviable” and a “taxpayer handout,” insisting states like Colorado should fully fund local infrastructure without federal concessions. The second veto targeted the Miccosukee Reserved Area Amendment Act, which would have expanded tribal land in Florida’s Everglades and aided flood mitigation—citing opposition to groups allegedly obstructing immigration enforcement.
Reactions were swift and bipartisan in Colorado:
- Rep. Lauren Boebert: “President Trump decided to veto a completely non-controversial, bipartisan bill that passed both the House and Senate unanimously… I sincerely hope this veto has nothing to do with political retaliation.”
- Sen. John Hickenlooper (D-Colo.): Accused Trump of “playing partisan games and punishing Colorado by making rural communities suffer without clean drinking water,” urging an override.
- Sen. Michael Bennet (D-Colo.): Called it a “revenge tour,” unacceptable for denying clean water to Trump-supporting rural areas.
- Gov. Jared Polis (D-Colo.): Expressed disappointment, noting the bill’s unanimous support and benefits for rural communities.
Speculation ties the Colorado veto to Trump’s ongoing feud with state officials over the imprisonment of Tina Peters (convicted election tamperer he tried to pardon) and Boebert’s recent push for Epstein file releases. The Florida veto appears linked to the Miccosukee Tribe’s lawsuit against an immigration facility.
For U.S. readers, these early vetoes signal potential gridlock despite Republican congressional majorities. Unanimous passage makes overrides feasible (requiring two-thirds votes), testing party loyalty on noncontroversial infrastructure. Rural water access affects health, agriculture, and economies in drought-prone areas, while tribal issues highlight federal-tribal relations.
As 2026 begins, calls mount for Congress to override—rare but possible given the bills’ broad support. This Trump veto of bipartisan Colorado water act amid partisan games accusations sets a confrontational tone early in his term.
By Mark Smith
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