DENVER — Today, Governor Jared Polis expressed disappointment in Congress for failing to override President Trump’s veto and blocking continued progress on the Arkansas Valley Conduit, a long-delayed project critical to ensuring thousands of families in southeastern Colorado have access to safe, reliable drinking water.
“For decades, families in southeastern Colorado have waited patiently for clean, safe drinking water and, today, Congress failed them. The Arkansas Valley Conduit has united Coloradans across party lines because access to clean drinking water is not a partisan issue — it’s a basic responsibility of government. I want to thank Representative Boebert and Senator Bennet for their leadership in sponsoring this bill in their respective chambers, and the entire Colorado federal delegation for voting in support of this critical project. When a bipartisan coalition comes together in support of rural communities, public health, and long-standing commitments, Washington should be listening. Letting this veto stand puts politics ahead of people and jeopardizes an initiative that is already under construction and long overdue,” said Governor Jared Polis.
All members of Colorado’s congressional delegation — Democrats and Republicans in both the House and Senate — voted to override the veto, demonstrating bipartisan unity around the importance of this project. Governor Polis applauded the vetoed bill which was originally sponsored by Representative Boebert in the House, and cosponsored by Representative Hurd, and sponsored by Senator Bennet in the Senate, and cosponsored by Senator Hickenlooper.
The Arkansas Valley Conduit is a 130-mile pipeline that will serve nearly 50,000 people across dozens of communities east of Pueblo, many of which currently rely on groundwater sources contaminated by naturally occurring salinity and radionuclides. Authorized by Congress in 1962 as part of the Fryingpan-Arkansas Project, the conduit has faced decades of delays despite its critical importance to public health and economic stability in the region.
Colorado has played a leading role in advancing the project, including committing $100 million in state grants and loans through the Colorado Water Conservation Board and working closely with the Bureau of Reclamation, local water providers, and Colorado’s congressional delegation to leverage federal funding through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. With this veto override, Congress could have reaffirmed its commitment to finishing the job and delivering one of the most basic services the government owes its people: safe, reliable drinking water.
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