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President Donald Trump this week exercised his veto power for the first time since returning to the White House, rejecting two bipartisan bills that had sailed through Congress with little opposition — a move that stunned lawmakers in both parties and underscored the president’s willingness to override congressional consensus to advance his political priorities.
Mr. Trump vetoed the legislation Monday, the White House announced on X, blocking a long-delayed water pipeline project in Colorado and a measure expanding a Native American tribe’s control over land in the Florida Everglades. Both bills passed the House and Senate by voice vote and now face steep odds of being overridden, requiring two-thirds majorities in both chambers.
Presidential vetoes remain relatively rare, particularly when the president’s party controls Congress. Mr. Trump vetoed 10 bills during his first term, all in its final two years. Former President Joe Biden used the veto 13 times over four years.
One of the rejected bills, the Miccosukee Reserved Area Amendments Act, would have added the Osceola Camp — a small village in the Everglades — to land overseen by the Miccosukee Tribe and required federal action to protect the community from flooding. The legislation was backed by Florida Republican Sens. Rick Scott and Ashley Moody, along with GOP Rep. Carlos Gimenez and Democratic Rep. Darren Soto.
Gimenez described the bill as “about fairness and conservation,” saying it would ensure the tribe could protect its homes and way of life.
But in a veto message sent to Congress on Tuesday, Mr. Trump accused the tribe of seeking “special treatment” while opposing his immigration agenda. He cited the tribe’s participation in a lawsuit challenging a nearby immigration detention facility — dubbed “Alligator Alcatraz” by state and federal officials — arguing that the Miccosukee had obstructed “reasonable immigration policies.”
“Despite seeking funding and special treatment from the Federal Government,” Mr. Trump wrote, “the Miccosukee Tribe has actively sought to obstruct” policies he said voters endorsed.
The tribe has argued the detention center threatens the Everglades ecosystem and interferes with its ability to hunt and conduct ceremonies.
Mr. Trump also questioned the legitimacy of Osceola Camp itself, writing that the settlement was never authorized and that the federal government should not be responsible for mitigating flood risks there.
The second veto blocked the Finish the Arkansas Valley Conduit Act, which aimed to complete a water pipeline serving roughly 50,000 people in southeastern Colorado. The project dates back to the Kennedy administration but stalled for decades due to cost-sharing requirements imposed on local governments.
A 2009 law reduced local contributions to 35%, and the latest bill would have further eased repayment terms and lowered interest costs. The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation estimated in 2023 that the project would cost about $1.4 billion — roughly double earlier projections.
Mr. Trump said the veto was part of a broader effort to curb what he called “taxpayer handouts,” arguing the legislation would saddle federal taxpayers with the burden of a local infrastructure project.
The bill had the backing of Colorado’s two Democratic senators and Republican Reps. Lauren Boebert and Jeff Hurd, whose districts include communities slated to receive water from the pipeline.
Boebert blasted the decision, calling the legislation “completely non-controversial” and questioning whether the veto amounted to political retaliation.
“I must have missed the rally where he stood in Colorado and promised to personally derail critical water infrastructure projects,” Boebert wrote in a statement.
Colorado Democrats were even harsher. Sen. John Hickenlooper accused Mr. Trump of “playing partisan games,” while Sen. Michael Bennet said the veto was driven by “revenge.”
The move comes amid escalating tensions between Mr. Trump and Colorado officials, including disputes over a former GOP election clerk convicted of voting machine tampering and broader fights over federal authority and loyalty to the administration.
