Boebert says Trump veto is personal

Colorado is having a clean water problem, and the Arkansas Valley Conduit (AVC) was supposed to help solve that problem. This was initially supposed to be a state project, but with certain funding issues, Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-CO) sponsored a bill that passed unanimously through the House and Senate to Donald Trump’s desk to help alleviate some of the financial burden on the state.

Well, Trump just vetoed the bill, and Boebert thinks it is because she sponsored the bill after siding against Trump on the Epstein files.

The AVC

The history of the project dates back to 1962, when it was approved by Congress as part of the Fryingpan-Arkansas Project.

However, the project was never completed because of the high costs of construction.

This was partially addressed in 2009, when Congress decided to amend the legislation, using a cost-sharing plan that would split the funding between the federal government and local government (65-35).  It also extended the repayment plan to 50 years.

Groundbreaking for the project took place on April 28, 2023.

The Finish the Arkansas Valley Conduit Act

Boebert then put her legislation on the House floor, which would have extended the repayment period to 100 years, lowering the overall costs for residents.

Trump vetoed the bill, with the White House stating, "H.R. 131 would continue the failed policies of the past by forcing Federal taxpayers to bear even more of the massive costs of a local water project — a local water project that, as initially conceived, was supposed to be paid for by the localities using it."

The White House further stated that $249 million has already been spent on the project, and its total costs are expected to be about $1.3 billion, to which Boebert replied, "I must have missed the rally where he stood in Colorado and promised to personally derail critical water infrastructure projects. My bad, I thought the campaign was about lowering costs and cutting red tape.

"But hey, if this administration wants to make its legacy blocking water projects that deliver water to rural Americans; that’s on them.”

She’s Not Alone

It took Colorado Democrats about five seconds to pounce on this, with Senators Michael Bennett (D-CO) and John Hickenlooper (D-CO) stating, “Nothing says ‘Make America Great Again’ like denying 50,000 rural Coloradans access to clean, affordable drinking water.

“President Trump’s first veto of his second term blocks a bipartisan bill that both the House and Senate passed unanimously, costs taxpayers nothing, and delivers safe, reliable water to rural communities that overwhelmingly supported him.”

So, over the course of a few weeks, Trump has denied a federal disaster request by Colorado after it had very destructive wildfires and flooding, and now he is denying aid for a clean water bill.

This is just a horrible look, and whether it is revenge against Boebert or not, that is how it looks. Again, go big picture here when Trump is sending tens of billions overseas, but now he is saying $1 billion is too much for Colorado to have clean drinking water. It’s just not a good look.