March 9, 2023
Today, Congresswoman Lauren Boebert (CO-03) voted to rescind the unconstitutional WOTUS rule utilizing the Congressional Review Act.
Congresswoman Lauren Boebert stated, “Biden’s WOTUS rule is another land and water grab to expand the federal government’s jurisdiction and regulate every aspect of our lives. This job-killing mandate will devastate small businesses, farmers, ranchers, and everyday Americans. The EPA has no business regulating ditches. Farmers and ranchers also shouldn’t have to hire a team of consultants to determine what actions they can take on their own property. This new rule is not well thought out, and I’m glad the House took definitive action today to fight this overreach.”
Background:
The Obama administration’s 2015 WOTUS rule was a land and water grab that sought to assert Clean Water Act and federal jurisdiction over areas with even the slightest connection to water resources.
The Trump administration passed the Navigable Waters Protection Rule to provide much-needed clarity to the WOTUS rule and protect small business, property owners, farmers, and other stakeholders from federal overreaches. However, the Biden administration’s word games are ushering in another massive federal overreach like we saw with Obama’s 2015 WOTUS rule.
Congresswoman Boebert is a strong opponent of Biden’s WOTUS rule. When the Biden administration first proposed its version of the regulation, Congresswoman Boebert joined 126 other Members of Congress in an effort opposing it.
The Congressional Review Act allows Congress the opportunity to review and rescind agency regulations by passing a resolution of disapproval. The resolution of disapproval of the Biden administration’s WOTUS rule passed the House 227-198.
There is currently a Supreme Court case pending that could upend the entire WOTUS rule. The Biden administration’s effort to roll out this rule is premature since the Supreme Court has not yet issued its decision in Sackett v. EPA.
Congresswoman Boebert spoke in favor of the bill on the House floor.
