Graves & Rouzer Critical of Administration's Move Toward Obama-Era Water Restrictions

Press Release

Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Ranking Member Sam Graves (R-MO) and Water Resources and Environment Subcommittee Ranking Member David Rouzer (R-NC) today criticized the Administration for moving forward with their rulemaking process, in the face of a pending Supreme Court ruling, and reinstate strict and cumbersome regulations over waters and water use decisions throughout the United States.

The Administration's final rule redefining "Waters of the United States" (WOTUS) moves the federal government closer toward the tighter regulation of businesses, farmers, infrastructure builders, communities, and private citizens. The Administration announced its rulemaking despite the fact that the Supreme Court is scheduled to decide a case (Sackett) in the coming months that will bear directly on any WOTUS-related rules or regulations.

"Our economy continues to struggle with the economic crises brought about by the disastrous economic policies of this Administration, and it makes absolutely no sense to move the country back towards the costly and burdensome WOTUS regulations of the past," Graves said. "It's particularly foolish to do this now and waste federal resources when the Supreme Court has yet to rule on the issue -- a ruling that will impact and alter what the Administration is hastily putting forward."

"Today's announcement by the Biden Administration on their new rule for Waters of the U.S. (WOTUS) is disappointing. This rule is both poor policy and badly timed. It is another example of this Administration's determined adherence to the demands of environmentalists at the expense of hard-working Americans. While cloaked a little differently, this new WOTUS rule will once again place overly burdensome regulations on our farm families, small businesses, and entire communities further harming our economy -- not to mention making critical infrastructure projects that much more expensive," Rouzer said. "While I appreciate the EPA's acknowledgement that the Supreme Court has already heard arguments in Sackett v. EPA with a ruling soon expected, this further underscores how ill-advised it is for the Administration to rush a new rule given the Court's forthcoming decision will impact any new definition of WOTUS."

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