Overview
- President Trump rejected the Finish the Arkansas Valley Conduit Act, calling it an unfair burden on federal taxpayers and writing, “Enough is enough,” in his veto message.
- The conduit project is designed to carry water from Pueblo Reservoir to 39 communities on Colorado’s Eastern Plains, where groundwater has high salinity and occasional radioactive contamination risks.
- The bill passed the House and Senate by voice vote and would have eased local financing by extending repayment and lowering interest on the federal share of project costs.
- Supporters, including Republican sponsor Rep. Lauren Boebert and Democratic Sens. Michael Bennet and John Hickenlooper, denounced the veto; Boebert questioned whether politics influenced the decision.
- Overriding the veto would require two-thirds majorities in both chambers and a decision by GOP leaders to hold votes; the White House also vetoed a Miccosukee tribal measure, marking Trump’s first vetoes this term.