Trump issues first vetoes of his second term
NBCDEC 2025
Trump Vetoes Water Pipeline and Tribal Land Bills
Is the Arkansas Valley Conduit an unviable taxpayer burden, or essential infrastructure for rural communities?
Above: Donald Trump at his Mar-a-Lago club in Palm Beach, Florida, on Dec. 29, 2025. Image credit: Joe Raedle/Getty Images
The Spin
Pro-Trump narrative
The Arkansas Valley Conduit has been economically unviable for decades, with local users repeatedly failing to meet repayment obligations despite massive federal subsidies. After already slashing repayment requirements from 100% to 35% in 2009, cutting interest rates would force taxpayers to shoulder even more of the $1.3 billion cost of a local project that was supposed to be self-funded.
Anti-Trump narrative
Southeast Colorado communities deserve access to clean, affordable water through the Arkansas Valley Conduit, a project with unanimous congressional support. Blocking this essential infrastructure denies rural areas basic necessities. This veto highlights a failure to deliver critical resources to communities that have waited for decades for access to clean water.