January 1, Trump Blocks Costly Water, Tribal Bills

Wyatt’s Take

• Trump used his veto power on two big-spending bills.
• He said taxpayers shouldn’t be on the hook for projects that drag on or cater to special interests.
• The bills would have extended debt and cut rates for a delayed pipeline and funded a tribal camp in a national park.

President Trump vetoed two bills for the first time this term, stopping new spending that he says puts too much of a load on working Americans. The bills were aimed at a water project in Colorado and a special area in Florida’s Everglades.

One bill, the Finish the Arkansas Valley Conduit Act, would have made taxpayers cover the costs of a water pipeline for longer, cutting the interest rate in half. The White House stated, “my administration is committed to preventing American taxpayers from funding expensive and unreliable policies.”

The Arkansas Valley Conduit was first planned in 1962. It has had trouble getting off the ground, with delays and changing payback plans. The newest bill would have pushed payment out 75 years, far longer than the original plan, and dropped the interest rate.

Trump also stopped a bill involving the Miccosukee tribe’s Osceola Camp in the Everglades. The camp sits on land not included in the tribe’s original deal. The tribe has lived there for years and wanted federal help to prevent flooding and upgrade infrastructure. But the White House pushed back, saying, “My Administration is committed to preventing American taxpayers from funding projects for special interests, especially those that are unaligned with my Administration’s policy of removing violent criminal illegal aliens from the country.”

The administration pointed out that earlier estimates put the cost of updating the camp as high as $14 million, arguing it was a costly ask for taxpayers who had no say in the camp’s history.

The message is clear: No more blank checks for projects that don’t put Americans first. The president’s move signals a return to common sense when it comes to government spending.

Wyatt Matters

Folks out here know the meaning of living within your means. It’s only fair that the government shows the same discipline with our hard-earned tax dollars.

Read more at Breitbart