United States President Donald Trump exercised his veto power for the first time in his second term on December 29, 2025, rejecting two bipartisan bills that had passed Congress with unanimous support.
The vetoes target the Finish the Arkansas Valley Conduit Act and the Miccosukee Reserved Area Amendments Act, as confirmed by the White House and reported by Reuters, NBC News, and CBS News.
The Arkansas Valley Conduit Act aimed to complete a long-delayed pipeline project delivering clean drinking water from the Pueblo Reservoir to about 39 communities in southeastern Colorado. Communities there rely on groundwater often contaminated with high salinity and radioactivity.
Originating from the Fryingpan-Arkansas Project authorised in 1962 during President John F. Kennedy’s administration, the conduit broke ground in 2023 but required additional federal support to finish.
The bill, sponsored by Republican Representatives Lauren Boebert and Jeff Hurd alongside Colorado’s Democratic senators, passed both chambers by voice vote. In his veto message, Trump described the project as “expensive and unreliable,” stating it would burden American taxpayers unfairly.
Colorado lawmakers reacted sharply. Boebert, a former staunch Trump supporter who recently clashed with him over the release of Jeffrey Epstein files, posted on social media: “This isn’t over. Democratic Governor Jared Polis called the veto “very disappointing,” noting it hurts rural Colorado by blocking a non-controversial promise for clean water.
The second veto blocked the Miccosukee Reserved Area Amendments Act, which would have incorporated Osceola Camp—a village in Everglades National Park—into the Miccosukee Tribe’s reserved area. It also mandated measures to protect structures from flooding, potentially costing up to $14 million.
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Trump’s veto letter argued the tribe lacked authorisation to inhabit the area and accused it of obstructing his administration’s immigration policies, despite seeking federal funds. The tribe had joined legal action against a controversial immigration detention facility in the Everglades, nicknamed “Alligator Alcatraz,” which a federal judge ordered largely dismantled.
The bill enjoyed support from Florida Republicans including Senators Rick Scott and figures like Representative Carlos Gimenez, who described it as promoting “fairness and conservation.”
Presidential vetoes remain rare, especially against unanimously passed legislation. Trump issued 10 vetoes in his first term, with one overridden, while predecessor Joe Biden used the power 13 times. Overriding these vetoes requires a two-thirds majority in both houses, a high threshold given the bipartisan origins.
