In a stunning opening move of his second term, President Donald Trump has wielded his veto pen for the first time, rejecting two bipartisan bills that promised clean water for rural Colorado families and expanded land rights for the Miccosukee Native American Tribe in Florida. Is this fiscal responsibility — or political payback? The dramatic decision has sparked outrage, accusations of revenge, and calls for a rare veto override.
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Source: Reuters – Trump issues first second-term vetoes (Dec 31, 2025)
Trump's First Vetoes: A Bold and Controversial Move
President Donald Trump shocked Washington this week by issuing his first vetoes since returning to the White House, scrapping two bipartisan-backed bills on Monday, December 29, 2025. The White House made the dramatic announcement on social media, confirming the use of presidential veto power early in his second term.
Both measures — which had sailed through the House and Senate with overwhelming (often unanimous) support — now face a steep uphill battle: Congress would need a two-thirds majority in both chambers to override the president and turn them into law.
The Colorado Water Crisis Bill: Clean Water Denied?
The first veto targeted H.R. 131, the "Finish the Arkansas Valley Conduit Act" — a decades-old dream to pipe clean, reliable drinking water to Colorado’s Eastern Plains. First proposed in the 1960s under President John F. Kennedy, the project aims to serve around 50,000 people in 39 rural communities plagued by salty and sometimes radioactive groundwater.
Trump, in his veto letter, blasted the bill as too expensive and unreliable, declaring: "My administration is committed to preventing American taxpayers from funding expensive and unreliable policies." The project had strong bipartisan backing, including from Colorado's Democratic Senators and Republican Representatives Lauren Boebert and Jeff Hurd.
Rep. Boebert, the bill's sponsor and former staunch Trump ally, fired back on social media: "This isn’t over." The congresswoman recently clashed with Trump after helping force the release of remaining Jeffrey Epstein files — a move that has fueled speculation of political retaliation.
Colorado Democrats were furious, calling it a "revenge tour" that hurts rural families desperate for clean water.
Florida Everglades Drama: Tribe vs. Immigration Policy
The second veto hit H.R. 504, the "Miccosukee Reserved Area Amendments Act," which would have expanded the Miccosukee Tribe’s control over Osceola Camp — a culturally vital section of Everglades National Park.
Trump justified the rejection by claiming the tribe is not authorized to inhabit the area and accusing them of blocking his tough immigration agenda, including lawsuits against the controversial "Alligator Alcatraz" detention center (which a federal judge has ordered largely dismantled). He vowed no taxpayer money would go to "special interests" opposing his policies.
Presidential vetoes remain rare: Trump used the power 10 times in his first term, while Joe Biden vetoed 13 bills over four years. These early second-term vetoes signal an aggressive stance on spending and loyalty to his America First agenda.