Overview
- The White House announced on Dec. 30 that President Trump vetoed the Finish the Arkansas Valley Conduit Act and the Miccosukee Reserved Area Amendments Act, his first vetoes of the term.
- The Colorado measure, passed by voice vote in both chambers, would have eased financing to complete a decades‑old pipeline serving roughly 39 communities where groundwater is often unsafe.
- Sponsor Rep. Lauren Boebert, a Trump ally, condemned the veto and raised the possibility of political retaliation linked to her push to release the Jeffrey Epstein files, saying, "This isn't over."
- Trump’s veto message cited protecting taxpayers from increased federal cost‑sharing, noting more than $249 million already spent and total project costs estimated near $1.3 billion under revised repayment terms.
- The second veto halted a bipartisan Miccosukee bill tied to protecting the Osceola Camp in the Everglades, which the administration opposed while referencing immigration policy disputes; Congress has not committed to scheduling override votes.