House considers overriding Trump vetoes as Republicans weigh crossing president

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.

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.