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United States President Donald Trump has exercised his veto power for the first time in his second term, rejecting two bipartisan-backed bills involving a water infrastructure project and the expansion of a Native American reservation.
According to AFP, the White House confirmed on Monday that Trump vetoed the measures, which had previously passed both the Senate and the House of Representatives. Overriding the vetoes would require a two-thirds majority in both chambers of Congress.
Water Pipeline Bill Rejected
One of the vetoed bills, the “Finish the Arkansas Valley Conduit Act,” sought to complete a long-delayed project designed to deliver clean drinking water to communities on Colorado’s Eastern Plains.
In a letter to Congress, Trump argued that the project would be too costly, stating that he was “preventing American taxpayers from funding expensive and unreliable policies.”
The pipeline was first proposed in the 1960s during the presidency of John F. Kennedy and had received unanimous support from lawmakers in both chambers. It was backed by Colorado’s two Democratic senators as well as Republican Representatives Lauren Boebert and Jeff Hurd.
“This isn’t over,” Boebert wrote on social media following the veto.
Boebert, once a strong Trump ally, recently broke ranks with the former president over the release of files related to the late financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. She was among four Republican lawmakers who pushed the Justice Department to release the remaining documents, a move Trump had opposed for months before eventually conceding.
Trump has repeatedly denied any involvement or knowledge of Epstein’s crimes.
Tensions With Colorado Officials
The veto comes amid escalating tensions between Trump and Colorado officials. The president had recently threatened “harsh measures” in response to the imprisonment of Tina Peters, a Republican election official sentenced in October 2024 for allowing unauthorized access to sensitive voting systems.
Peters is ineligible for a presidential pardon under state law.
Native American Reservation Expansion Blocked
Trump also vetoed the “Miccosukee Reserved Area Amendments Act,” which aimed to expand the Miccosukee Native American Tribe’s authority over part of Florida’s Everglades National Park known as Osceola Camp.
The White House said Trump opposed the bill because the tribe was not authorised to occupy the area and because the administration would not support what it described as “projects for special interests.”
The Miccosukee Tribe is currently involved in a lawsuit against a now-dismantled immigration detention centre in the Everglades—dubbed “Alligator Alcatraz.” A federal judge ordered the facility largely shut down earlier this year.
Trump criticised the tribe for opposing his immigration policies, stating that taxpayer funds should not be used for initiatives involving groups “unaligned” with his administration’s objectives.
Veto Power Rarely Used
Presidential vetoes remain relatively uncommon. During his first term, Trump vetoed 10 bills, while his predecessor, Joe Biden, issued 13 vetoes over the course of his four-year presidency.
