ICYMI: Rep. Neguse Speaks in Support of Arkansas Valley Conduit Veto Override

Washington, D.C. — In case you missed it, Colorado Congressman Joe Neguse took to the House Floor Thursday afternoon to urge his colleagues to override President Trump’s recent veto of H.R. 131, the Finish the Arkansas Valley Conduit Act. The bill, which initially passed both the House and Senate unanimously, would help deliver clean, affordable drinking water to over 50,000 Coloradans. 

The Chamber ultimately failed to advance Rep. Lauren Boebert’s (CO-04) effort to override President Trump’s veto. The measure is also up for consideration in the U.S. Senate.

To see the full video of Congressman Neguse’s remarks, click HERE. A full transcript of his remarks is available below.

NEGUSE: I thank the Speaker, and I thank the Ranking Member for the time. 

I support this bill for many reasons. I support it for the reasons that were articulated by the sponsor, my colleague from Colorado, Ms. Boebert, by the Ranking Member, and by the Chairman. I think they have ably explained why this water infrastructure project for southeastern Colorado is so critical — a project 60 years in the making. 

I support it because, as was noted, there are no cogent issues with this bill, as were purportedly articulated in the veto message from President Trump. Far from it. This bill will cost taxpayers virtually nothing, as was referenced, and it makes good on a promise to the people of rural Colorado. 

I support the bill because I believe that the people of Otero County, Bent County, and Crowley County deserve access to clean water, just as every citizen of the great state that I serve, that Ms. Boebert serves, that Mr. Hurd serves, and my other colleagues in the Colorado Congressional delegation serve.

I think what's perhaps missing from this debate, and it's important for us to level with the American people. Why are we here? Why, despite all of the reasons that this bill makes a whole lot of sense? Why, despite the fact that this bill passed unanimously in the House and in the Senate? Mr. Speaker, why did the president veto this bill?

We are here, unfortunately, profoundly, because the president has declared war on our state. In the last 40 days, he has taken step after step to harm the people that I serve and that I represent: denying disaster assistance for folks in Rio Blanco County, down south in La Plata County; freezing child care assistance, food assistance for hungry families across our state; and trying to dismantle a scientific institution in my district. And now denying access to clean water to 50,000 people in southeastern Colorado. 

It is unconscionable, and I firmly believe that the House and the Senate — and I'm speaking to my Democratic colleagues, to be clear — that it is important, in this moment, for Members to support this override and ensure that this promise that was made to the people of southeastern Colorado is not impaired, it's not abrogated, by the president's retaliation against the state of Colorado. 

We cannot let that become the new normal. And I will say to all of my colleagues, as you consider where you land on this particular vote, let me be abundantly clear. It does not matter if your community supported Donald Trump politically. If we don't take this step, trust me, no town is safe. No county is safe. No state is safe from political retaliation by the administration. 

We will be back here on the floor debating a veto for a project in Arkansas or in Texas or in Ohio. 

The House has an opportunity, in my view, to do the right thing on the merits. To support this important legislation that Ms. Boebert has introduced, that she has fought for with our colleagues in the Senate, Senator Bennet and Senator Hickenlooper. And I am urging every member of this body to put aside political differences, recognize that this is a bill you already supported, as recently as last month, recognize that it's going to have a dramatic and consequential impact on a lot of Americans — hard-working Americans in the rural parts of our country — and vote in the affirmative on the override.

And with that, Mr. Speaker, I'll yield back the balance of my time to the Ranking.

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