House refuses to override Trump vetoes as Republicans stick with president

By KEVIN FREKING, Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — The House refused Thursday to override President Donald Trump’s veto of two low-profile bills as Republicans stuck with the president despite their prior support for the measures.

Congress can override a veto with support from two-thirds of the members of the House and the Senate. The threshold is rarely reached. In this case, Republicans opted to avoid a fight in an election year over bills with little national significance. The two vetoes were the first of Trump’s second term.

One bill Trump vetoed 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 those 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 Miccos...