President Donald Trump's first veto of his second term involved spending to rebuild the infrastructure of a small, predominantly Republican region of Colorado. The funding would have provided fresh and safe drinking water to an area in which the groundwater had been contaminated with salt and radiation.
The project started with a planning process in the 1930s. But it was never completed. The New York Times reported that even years later, Americans can't drink water out of their taps safely. Far-right GOP lawmaker, Lauren Boebert (R-Col.), sponsored a bill that would complete the pipeline that would bring clean water to her district. It was passed by Congress in 2025 but Trump killed it.
Democrats believe Trump's veto is his attempt to punish Democrats who lead the state.
“I can’t believe he would do that to us,” Republican Mayor Shirley Adams told the Times. She oversees the small farming community of Manzanola, which has groundwater poisoned with uranium. While she voted for Trump in 2024, she's hurt by the veto.
But Manzanola wouldn't be the only town to benefit. A total of 39 towns would finally be guaranteed clean drinking water from the tap.
Adams explained that the water project isn't a political issue and a pipeline is the only solution they'll ever have. Local officials want to move forward with it, but without the help of the federal government, the state won't get the best funding available.
Brandi Rivera, another Manzanola resident, said that her family gets cases of bottled water from Walmart each week. They won't wash their faces or brush their teeth with the water from the tap.
“People don’t think about small towns,” she lamented. “We worked so long for this."
"I’m very disappointed,” agreed Benita Gonzales after serving lunch at a senior center in Swink, Colorado, a town not too far from Manzanola. “There are certain things you do not politicize. Water is the most basic thing.”
Dave Esgar, whose family has been in eastern Colorado for five generations told the Times, “Most of us will be dead by the time it ever gets here.”
He called it a "total waste."