House considers overriding Trump vetoes as Republicans weigh crossing
president
[January 08, 2026]
By KEVIN FREKING
WASHINGTON (AP) — Republicans will consider a rare rebuke of President
Donald Trump with House votes Thursday to override his vetoes of two
low-profile bills that were considered noncontroversial when they passed
Congress.
One bill was designed to help local communities finance the construction
of a pipeline to provide water to tens of thousands in Colorado. The
other designated a site in Everglades National Park as a part of the
Miccosukee Indian Reservation.
The White House did not issue any veto threats prior to passage of the
bills, so Trump's scathing comments in his veto message came as a
surprise to sponsors of the legislation. Ultimately, his vetoes had the
effect of punishing backers who had opposed the president’s positions on
other issues.
The water pipeline bill came from Republican Rep. Lauren Boebert of
Colorado, a longtime Trump ally who broke with the president in November
to release files on convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The bill to
give the Miccosukee Tribe of Indians more control of some of its tribal
lands would have benefited one of the groups that sued the
administration over an immigration detention center known as “ Alligator
Alcatraz.”
Congress can override the vetoes with support from two-thirds of the
members of the House and the Senate. But it’s unclear if there will be
enough support in the Republican-controlled chambers to do so,
especially heading into a midterm election year when many GOP members
will want Trump's backing.
Republicans take sides
Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., said leadership was not urging — or
“whipping” — members on how to vote. He said he would personally vote to
sustain the vetoes and the president's message opposing the bills
“sounded very reasonable to me.” He said he understood the concerns of
the Colorado lawmakers about the veto and would work to help them on the
pipeline issue going forward.
Boebert said she has been talking to colleagues individually about
overriding Trump's veto, but wasn't sure about hitting the two-thirds
threshold. Some colleagues “don't want to go against the president,” she
said.
She added that her bill passed out of committee with bipartisan support
and passed both chambers unanimously. “I think the president was given
bad information regarding the bill,” she said.
“We are simply allowing water users extra time to repay their portion of
the project,” Boebert said.
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Airboats carry members of a task force that brings together federal,
state, tribal and local agencies working to restore and protect the
Florida Everglades, on a field visit to the Miccosukee Indian
Reservation ahead of a task force meeting hosted by the Miccosukee
Tribe, April 24, 2024. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell, File)
When asked if the veto was in response to her signing a discharge
petition to release the Epstein files, she said, “I certainly hope
not.” Trump did not allude to Boebert in his veto of her
legislation, but raised concerns about the cost of the water
pipeline.
The Florida legislation had been sponsored by Republican Rep. Carlos
Gimenez, whom Trump has endorsed. In his veto message, Trump was
critical of the tribe, saying, “The Miccosukee Tribe has actively
sought to obstruct reasonable immigration policies that the American
people decisively voted for when I was elected.”
Before the House voted to pass his bill, Gimenez said it would
simply allow an inhabited tribal village to be included in the
Miccosukee Reservation, empowering the tribe to manage water flow
into the Everglades and raise structures within the camp to prevent
flooding.
Rep. Don Bacon, R-Neb., said he would vote to override the
president's vetoes.
“They passed unanimously,” Bacon said of the bills. “And I don't
know if I agree with the explanations for the veto."
Rep. Nicole Malliotakis, R-N.Y., said she would vote to sustain the
vetoes.
“My constituents want me to stand with Trump,” Malliotakis said.
The Senate would be next
GOP senators were noncommittal about how the chamber would proceed
should the House vote to override one or both vetoes.
“Let's see what the House does,” said Sen. John Barrasso, the No. 2
Republican in the Senate.
Trump vetoed 10 bills in his first term. Congress only overrode one
of them — a defense policy bill that Trump had vetoed in the final
days of his term.
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