House GOP Calls For WOTUS To Be Postponed

Thursday, several members of the House of Representatives, including Washington’s Dan Newhouse, Illinois’ Mike Bost, North Carolina’s David Rouzer, and Iowa’s Mariannette Miller-Meeks led 192 other House Republicans in a letter blasting the Administration for its "premature and reckless WOTUS final rule".  The Members demand the EPA and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers rescind the rule and postpone any subsequent agency action on WOTUS to allow the Supreme Court to issue an opinion on Sackett v EPA.

“I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again, WOTUS is the most egregious federal overreach this nation has ever faced,” Newhouse said.  “Every farmer, rancher, or property owner in Central Washington who moves dirt will be harmed by this rule.  This letter emphasizes my commitment to fighting back against this overreach and representing the voices of Central Washingtonians who are united against this rulemaking.”

“Farmers, landowners, and job creators depend on clear, consistent, and manageable regulatory guidance,” Bost said.  “This would be the fourth time in eight years they’ve been forced to change course to avoid criminal penalties and financial hardship as WOTUS is continually redefined.  There is absolutely no reason to burden them with additional regulations simply to appease liberal Green New Deal special interests. The EPA and Army Corps should rescind this definition immediately and give Americans the certainty they need.”

“The Biden Administration’s new WOTUS rule is both poor policy and badly timed.  It will once again place overly burdensome regulations on our farm families, small businesses, infrastructure projects, and entire communities – further harming our economy as well as delaying and, in some cases, likely terminating important infrastructure projects,” added Rouzer.  “Furthermore, it is ill-advised for the Administration to rush a new rule given the Supreme Court’s forthcoming decision on Sackett v. EPA will impact any new definition of WOTUS, ultimately creating even more confusion and uncertainty.”

“The Biden administration’s ‘improved’ WOTUS rule is anything but, and it will have drastic consequences for farmers, producers, and landowners in Iowa and across the country,” Miller-Meeks said.  "These burdensome regulations are unnecessary, confusing, and will ultimately result in delays or cancellations of new infrastructure projects. Any clean water initiatives by the federal government should be focused on clearly defined bodies of water—not privately owned land.”

Thursday’s letter was signed by the entire Congressional Western Caucus, as well as Washington’s Cathy McMorris Rodgers, Oregon’s Cliff Bentz and Lori Chavez-DeRemer as well as Idaho representatives Mike Simpson and Russ Fulcher.

Click Here to read the entire letter.

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