urged committee leadership in both the U.S. Senate and House to include the Arkansas Valley Conduit (AVC) in upcoming Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) legislation.
Support including the Arkansas Valley Conduit (AVC) project in upcoming Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) legislation to secure its completion.
Occurrences
Colorado U.S. Senator Michael Bennet led Senator John Hickenlooper and U.S. Representatives Lauren Boebert and Jeff Hurd in urging committee leadership to include the Finish the Arkansas Valley Conduit Act (H.R. 131) in the forthcoming 2026 Water Resources Development Act (WRDA).
Evidence
Today, U.S. Senators John Hickenlooper and Michael Bennet, along with U.S. Representatives Lauren Boebert and Jeff Hurd, urged committee leadership in both the U.S. House and U.S. Senate to include the bipartisan Finish the Arkansas Valley Conduit Act (H.R. 131) in the upcoming 2026 Water Resources Development Act (WRDA).
Colorado U.S. Senator Michael Bennet led Senator John Hickenlooper and U.S. Representatives Lauren Boebert and Jeff Hurd in urging committee leadership to include the Finish the Arkansas Valley Conduit Act (H.R. 131) in the forthcoming 2026 Water Resources Development Act (WRDA).
In the first veto of his second term, President Donald Trump chose to halt a bipartisan 130-mile water infrastructure project 60 years in the making. With one stroke of a pen, he denied clean drinking water to 50,000 Americans in rural southeast Colorado.
The Administration strongly opposes H.R. 131, the Finish the Arkansas Valley Conduit Act. The bill would have the Federal Government extend the repayment period on the Arkansas Valley Conduit (AVC) water pipeline for an additional 25 years, creating a 75-year repayment period, and cut the interest rate in half.
Last week, President Trump vetoed H.R. 131, the Finish the Arkansas Valley Conduit Act, a bill that passed both Chambers of Congress unanimously with broad bipartisan support.
In 1962, Congress authorized a 130-mile pipeline, known as the Arkansas Valley Conduit, to deliver clean, reliable water to communities in southeastern Colorado. More than 60 years later, the project remains uncompleted, while communities in the region continue to face unreliable water supplies and serious water quality challenges.
Today, Colorado U.S. Senators John Hickenlooper and Michael Bennet welcomed the Bureau of Reclamation (BOR)’s announcement of $250 million in new funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law for continued construction of the Arkansas Valley Conduit (AVC).
Today, Colorado U.S. Senators John Hickenlooper and Michael Bennet welcomed the announcement from the Bureau of Reclamation (BOR) that $90 million in new funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law would be made available to speed up construction of the Arkansas Valley Conduit (AVC).
Assessments
Senator Hickenlooper actively advocated for the inclusion of the Arkansas Valley Conduit project in WRDA legislation and supported substantial federal funding for its construction. He joined bipartisan efforts urging Congress to pass the Finish the Arkansas Valley Conduit Act (H.R. 131), which passed both chambers unanimously. However, the project was ultimately blocked by a presidential veto and the specific legislative inclusion in WRDA has not occurred. While significant executive and legislative actions were taken to fulfill the promise, the intended legislative outcome remains unfulfilled due to factors outside the Senator's control.
Senator Hickenlooper made substantial, well-documented legislative and executive efforts to include and secure completion funding for the Arkansas Valley Conduit (AVC) in WRDA and through direct appropriations. He cosponsored or advocated for relevant bills, secured significant federal funding via the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, and pushed for legislative inclusion of the Finish the Arkansas Valley Conduit Act. However, despite these serious efforts, core legislative solutions faced a presidential veto and the key promise—to secure project completion via WRDA—remained unfulfilled during the term in question. The AVC project remains incomplete, and the specific legislative action promised did not succeed.
Senator Hickenlooper actively supported and advocated for including the Arkansas Valley Conduit (AVC) in WRDA legislation and pursued legislative and appropriations efforts, including substantial infrastructure funding. The Finish the Arkansas Valley Conduit Act passed Congress but was ultimately vetoed by President Trump. While significant funding was also secured for the project, the precise promise was to secure completion through WRDA inclusion, which has not been realized due to executive veto. Hickenlooper expended legislative effort but could not achieve the outcome, and the project's completion through WRDA remains unresolved as of the latest evidence.