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Dozens of House Republicans voted with Democrats on Thursday in a failed attempt to override the president's first — and so far only — veto. Donald Trump second term.
Since taking office in January 2025, Trump has vetoed only twice.
Both attempts to override the veto failed, but importantly, more than 20 Republicans voted to defy Trump's wishes on each measure.
It's a rare rebuke of Trump's actions while in office, especially notable since Republicans also control both chambers of Congress.
MARJORIE TAYLOR GREENE SAID: 'THE DAM IS BREAKING' ON TRUMP'S POWER OVER THE REPUBLICAN PARTY
President Donald Trump speaks during a news conference at the Mar-a-Lago club in Palm Beach, Florida, January 3, 2026. (Nicole Combo/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
One of the bills was the “Complete the Arkansas Valley Pipeline Act,” proposed by a Trump ally. Representative Lauren Boebert, Republican of Colorado.
Thirty-five Republicans joined all 213 Democrats to override Trump's veto of the legislation, but they fell short of the two-thirds majority needed to do so.
Boebert's bill aimed to expand the availability of fresh water in eastern ColoradoWhere is the Bobert area located?
In a House statement last month, Trump called the project “economically unviable” and said his administration was “committed to ensuring that American taxpayers do not fund costly and unreliable” initiatives.
Trump also called the state's Democratic governor, Jared Polis, a “bad” leader in the interview. With Politician last month, explaining the veto.
Rep. Lauren Boebert speaks to reporters as she leaves the U.S. Capitol for the weekend of May 17, 2024 in Washington, DC. (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)
“This is not over,” Boebert, a staunch ally of the president, wrote on X in response to Trump’s decision.
In a statement to local media, she also hinted that the move could be in response to her support for the release of federal government files on Jeffrey Epsteinwriting in part, “I sincerely hope this veto has nothing to do with political retaliation for exposing corruption and demanding accountability.”
The second bill Trump vetoed was the Miccosukee Reserve Amendment Act, which is similarly led by Trump allies in his new home state of Florida.
Twenty-four Republicans joined 212 Democrats in voting to override the veto, but like the first bill, it fell short of the two-thirds majority needed to succeed.
This legislation was intended to formally expand the territory of the Miccosukee Indian Tribe, which primarily resides in the Florida Everglades.
Aerial view of the Florida Everglades. (Getty Images)
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But in his explanation of the veto, Trump accused the tribe of “actively seeking to prevent reasonable immigration policy which the American people decisively voted for when I was elected.”
“My administration is committed to preventing American taxpayers from funding special interest projects, especially those that do not comply with my administration's policies of removing violent criminal illegal aliens from the country. Ending the massive spending on taxpayer handouts and restoring fiscal sanity is vital to economic growth and the financial health of the nation,” he said in a statement.
But Trump allies struck a different chord in their response to the veto: Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., said Punchbowl News that the Senate should “address Trump's concerns” with the legislation.
