Daines Applauds House Action to Stop Obama’s WOTUS Power Grab

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Senator Steve Daines today applauded the House of Representatives’ passage of bipartisan legislation nullifying the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) greatly expanded Waters of the United States (WOTUS) rule. 

The House today joined the Senate in passing S.J.Res.22, a joint resolution Daines helped introduced to disapprove of the EPA’s new, overreaching WOTUS rules. The bill now heads to President Obama’s desk. 

“I’m pleased to see the House join the Senate in passing bipartisan legislation to stop yet another Obama administration power grab that harms our farmers, ranchers and landowners,” Daines stated. “The EPA’s latest overreach is a direct threat to Montanans’ way of life and has more to do with controlling Montanans’ land use decisions than ensuring access to clean water, as the Clean Water Act already requires. President Obama will now have to choose between protecting Montanans’ livelihoods and defending his failed policies. Regardless, I will continue fighting to stop his administration’s overreaching, job-killing regulations and working to ensure Montanans’ voices are heard.”

Daines has been an outspoken critic of President Obama’s WOTUS power grab. Daines is a also cosponsor of S. 1140, the Federal Water Quality Protection Act, that would direct the EPA and Army Corps of Engineers to issue a revised WOTUS rule that protects traditional navigable water from water pollution, while also protecting farmers, ranchers and private landowners. Senate Democrats blocked this legislation from advancing on November 3, 2015.

Daines’ efforts to stop the EPA’s greatly expanded powers through new WOTUS regulations were applauded across Montana, including by the Montana Chamber of Commerce, Montana Stockgrowers Assocation, Montana Grain Growers Association, Montana Farm Bureau, Montana Wool Growers Association, Montana Mining Association, Montana Petroleum Association and the Montana Building Industry.

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