By RismadarVoice Media
December 31, 2025
U.S. President, Donald Trump this week used his veto power for the first time during his second term, rejecting two bipartisan-backed bills: one to complete a long-delayed water pipeline in Colorado, another to expand a Native American reservation in Florida, the White House announced on social media Wednesday.
The bills, which would now require a two-thirds majority in both the House and Senate to override, faced unanimous support in Congress, however blocked by Trump, citing fiscal and policy concerns.
The first bill, the “Finish the Arkansas Valley Conduit Act,” sought to deliver clean water to Colorado’s Eastern Plains, fulfilling a plan dating back to the 1960s during John F. Kennedy’s presidency.
In his veto letter to Congress, Trump argued the project was too costly, warned it would commit American taxpayers to “expensive, unreliable policies.”
The legislation had received backing from both Colorado Democratic Senators and Republican Representatives Lauren Boebert and Jeff Hurd. Boebert, who recently split with Trump over the release of Jeffrey Epstein files, vowed on social media that the effort to pass the bill was “not over.”
Trump’s veto comes amid ongoing tensions in Colorado politics. The former president had threatened “harsh measures” against state officials over Tina Peters, a GOP election official imprisoned in 2024 for allowing a Trump supporter access to confidential voter information. Peters is not eligible for a presidential pardon.
The second bill, the “Miccosukee Reserved Area Amendments Act,” aimed to extend the Miccosukee Tribe’s control over Osceola Camp, a section of Everglades National Park in Florida.
The tribe had sued against an immigration detention centre at the site, nicknamed “Alligator Alcatraz,” which a federal judge ordered mostly dismantled.
Trump justified the veto by saying the tribe was not authorized to inhabit Osceola Camp and that his administration would not permit taxpayer money to fund “projects for special interests,” particularly groups “unaligned” with his immigration policies.
Presidential vetoes are relatively rare. During his first term, Trump vetoed 10 bills, while his predecessor, Joe Biden, vetoed 13 bills over four years.
The moves mark a significant assertion of Trump’s executive authority early in his second term, potentially setting up confrontations with Congress over long-standing bipartisan initiatives.
