Trump’s first vetoes of his second term hit bipartisan infrastructure projects, draw accusations of retribution

President Donald Trump issued the archetypal vetoes of his 2nd word Tuesday, blocking bills that would enactment a brace of bipartisan infrastructure projects successful Colorado and Florida. 

Trump's veto of the Colorado bill, the Finish the Arkansas Valley Conduit Act, which Congress unanimously approved earlier successful December, enraged the state's lawmakers. The measure would trim the payments section communities indispensable supply to the national authorities for the operation of the Arkansas Valley Conduit, a pipeline poised to supply cleanable drinking h2o to agrarian communities successful Colorado. 

In a message to Congress aft vetoing the legislation, Trump said the measure would "continue the failed policies of the past by forcing Federal taxpayers to carnivore adjacent much of the monolithic costs of a section h2o task — a section h2o task that, arsenic initially conceived, was expected to beryllium paid for by the localities utilizing it."

"Enough is enough. My Administration is committed to preventing American taxpayers from backing costly and unreliable policies," helium said. 

Bipartisan Colorado lawmakers who pushed the measure erupted aft the veto, vowing Congress volition override it. Some argued that Trump is making bully connected his vow for retribution aft Colorado refused to escaped Tina Peters, a erstwhile Colorado region clerk who was convicted past twelvemonth of crimes relating to the breach of voting machines aft the 2020 election.

Trump warned earlier this twelvemonth that if she was not released, helium would "take harsh measures!!!" successful a Truth Social post.

Trump issued a pardon for Peters successful December, but it was mostly symbolic since Peters was convicted successful a authorities court.  

"This isn't governing. It's a revenge tour," said Sen. Michael Bennet, D-Colo., who is besides moving for Colorado governor, successful a station to X. "It's unacceptable. I'll support warring to get agrarian Colorado the cleanable h2o they deserve."

Sen. John Hickenlooper, D-Colo., besides alleged Trump's veto was partisan. 

"Donald Trump is playing partisan games and punishing Colorado by making agrarian communities endure without cleanable drinking water," Hickenlooper said on X. "Congress should swiftly overturn this veto."

GOP Rep. Lauren Boebert, a staunch Trump ally, said connected her X relationship that "This isn't over."

In a statement she gave to Colorado-based NBC-affiliate KUSA, Boebert said she "hope[s] this veto has thing to bash with governmental retaliation for calling retired corruption and demanding accountability."

Boebert was 1 of the Republicans who joined Democrats successful compelling the merchandise of files related to notorious enactment offender Jeffrey Epstein. 

Trump did not notation Peters successful his rationale for vetoing the legislation. On Wednesday, however, helium issued a Truth Social Post saying, "God Bless Tina Peters, who is now, for 2 years retired of nine, sitting successful a Colorado Maximum Security Prison."

"Hard to privation her a Happy New Year, but to the Scumbag Governor, and the disgusting 'Republican' (RINO!) DA, who did this to her (nothing happens to the Dems and their phony Mail In Ballot System that makes it intolerable for a Republican to triumph an different precise winnable State!), I privation them lone the worst. May they rot successful Hell," the President wrote.

Congress's unanimous transition of the measure suggests it volition person the votes to override Trump's veto if GOP enactment successful some chambers allows it. Two-thirds of some the House and the Senate would beryllium needed to override the veto.

Rep. Jeff Hurd, different Colorado Republican, said successful a post to X that helium volition "continue warring for agrarian Colorado by moving crossed enactment lines to get this task backmost connected way and guarantee our communities are not near behind." 

CNBC has reached retired to House Speaker Mike Johnson's bureau to inquire if helium volition let the enclosure to override the veto.

The Florida measure Trump vetoed, the Miccosukee Reserved Area Amendments Act, besides passed Congress by dependable vote. The measure would person expanded the Miccosukee Reserved Area to see an country known arsenic the Osecola Camp, portion of the Everglades National Park. 

Trump successful a message to Congress said helium vetoed the measure successful portion to forestall "American taxpayers from backing projects for peculiar interests, particularly those that are unaligned with my Administration's argumentation of removing convulsive transgression amerciable aliens from the country."

In Trump's archetypal term, helium vetoed a full of 10 bills. His archetypal veto came successful 2019, 2 years into his term, to overturn a legislature determination to extremity a nationalist exigency astatine the confederate border. Congress failed to override that veto.