Today, the House of Representatives passed H.J. Res 27, a Waters of the United States (WOTUS) resolution of disapproval. The legislation was sponsored by House Transportation and Infrastructure (T&I) Committee Chairman Sam Graves (MO-06) and T&I Water Resources and Environment Subcommittee Chairman David Rouzer (NC-07).
Prior to passage, Chairman of the House Committee on Agriculture and a cosponsor of H.J. Res 27, Rep. Glenn "GT" Thompson (PA-15), delivered the following remarks on the House floor.
Remarks as prepared for delivery:
"I rise in strong support of today’s Waters of the U.S. (WOTUS) joint resolution of disapproval.
"As the Chairman and former Ranking Member of the House Committee on Agriculture, I’ve spent the last two years traveling to more than 40 states to hear directly from producers about the challenges they face.
"Burdensome regulations, record inflation, high input costs, the politicization of crop protection tools, supply chain disruptions—and now you can add an egregious government land grab to the list.
"Make no mistake about it, this rule isn’t about clean water. It’s about the Biden EPA’s appetite for power.
"America’s farmers, ranchers, and landowners deserve a WOTUS definition that is fair to agriculture and maintains the historical reach of the Clean Water Act—neither of which is accomplished by the Biden Administration’s flawed rule.
"Simply recognizing long-standing agriculture exemptions that have been too narrowly applied for decades does not make up for, once again, plunging our rural communities into regulatory ambiguity.
"I thank Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chairman Sam Graves and Water Resources and Environment Subcommittee Chairman David Rouzer for leading this important effort and I urge a yes vote."
