Press Releases

WASHINGTON, DC - Today, Rep. David Rouzer (NC-07), Congressional Western Caucus Chairman Dan Newhouse (WA-04), Rep. Mike Bost (IL-12) and Congressional Western Caucus Vice Chair Mariannette Miller-Meeks (IA-01) led 190 other House Republicans in a letter blasting the Biden Administration for its premature and reckless “waters of the United States” (WOTUS) final rule.
 
The Members demand the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency 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.

“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,” said Rep. David Rouzer (NC-07). “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.”

“I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again, WOTUS is the most egregious federal overreach this nation has ever faced,” said Chairman Dan Newhouse (WA-04). “Every farmer, rancher, or property owner who moves dirt will be harmed by this rule. This letter emphasizes House Republicans’ commitment to fighting back against this overreach and representing the voices of our constituents who are united against this rulemaking.”

“Farmers, landowners, and job creators depend on clear, consistent, and manageable regulatory guidance,” said Rep. Mike Bost (IL-12). “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 ‘improved’ WOTUS rule is anything but, and it will have drastic consequences for farmers, producers, and landowners in Iowa and across the country,” said Vice Chair Mariannette Miller-Meeks (IA-01). “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.”

Click here to read the full letter.

The 194 Members who signed the letter are: Reps. Aderholt, Alford, Allen, Amodei, Armstrong, Arrington, Babin, Bacon, Baird, Balderson, Banks, Barr, Bean, Bergman, Bice, Bilirakis, Bishop (NC), Boebert, Bost, Buck, Bucshon, Burchett, Burgess, Burlison, Calvert, Cammack, Carey, Carl, Carter (GA), Chavez-DeRemer, Ciscomani, Cline, Cloud, Clyde, Cole, Collins (GA), Comer, Crane, Crawford, Crenshaw, Curtis, D’Esposito, Davidson, De La Cruz, DesJarlais, Diaz-Balart, Donalds, Duarte, Duncan, Edwards, Ellzey, Emmer, Estes, Ezell, Fallon, Feenstra, Ferguson, Finstad, Fischbach, Fitzgerald, Fleischmann, Flood, Foxx, Franklin, Fry, Fulcher, Gaetz, Garcia, Gonzales, González-Colón, Gooden, Granger, Graves (LA), Graves (MO), Green (TN), Griffith, Grothman, Guest, Guthrie, Hageman, Harshbarger, Hern, Higgins, Hill, Hinson, Houchin, Hudson, Huizenga, Hunt, Issa, Jackson (TX), Johnson (LA), Johnson (OH), Johnson (SD), Jordan, Joyce (OH), Joyce (PA), Kelly (MS), Kelly (PA), Kiggans, Kiley, Kim, Kustoff, LaHood, LaMalfa, Lamborn, Langworthy, Latta, LaTurner, Lee, Lesko, Letlow, Loudermilk, Lucas, Luetkemeyer, Mace, Mann, McCaul, McClain, McClintock, McMorris Rodgers, Meuser, Miller (IL), Miller (OH), Miller (WV), Mills, Miller-Meeks, Molinaro, Moolenaar, Mooney, Moore (AL), Moore (UT), Moran, Moylan, Murphy, Nehls, Newhouse, Norman, Nunn, Obernolte, Ogles, Owens, Palmer, Pence, Perry, Pfluger, Posey, Radewagen, Reschenthaler, Rogers (AL), Rogers (KY), Rose, Rosendale, Rouzer, Rutherford, Salazar, Santos, Schweikert, Scott, Self, Sessions, Simpson, Smith (MO), Smith (NE), Smucker, Stauber, Steel, Stefanik, Steil, Steube, Stewart, Strong, Tenney, Thompson (PA), Tiffany, Timmons, Turner, Valadao, Van Drew, Van Duyne, Van Orden, Wagner, Walberg, Waltz, Weber, Webster, Wenstrup, Westerman, Williams (NY), Williams (TX), Wittman, Womack, Yakym, and Zinke.

Background:

On June 25, 2021, Rouzer, Graves, and Republican leaders highlighted concerns with the Administration’s plans to undo the Navigable Waters Protection Rule. 

On August 25, 2021, Rouzer and Graves urged the Agencies to extend the timeframe for public comments and stakeholder input on a new WOTUS rulemaking. 

On October 26, 2021, Rouzer and Graves issued these statements regarding the Administration’s rushed roundtable process.

On January 20, 2022, Rouzer and Graves requested more time to allow adequate public comment on the WOTUS rulemaking.

On January 24, 2022, Rouzer and Graves first called for a halt to the Agencies’ rulemaking,based on the Supreme Court’s decision to take up the Sackett case.

On March 8, 2022, Rouzer, Graves, and over 200 House Republicans renewed calls for the Administration to drop its plan to expand the scope of WOTUS and allow the Supreme Court to take up its case.

On April 18, 2022, Rouzer, Graves, and Senator Shelley Moore Capito led 201 Republican Members and Senators in filing an amici curiae brief in support of the petitioners in the case Sackett case.

On April 28, 2022, Rouzer and Graves asked the Administration for more transparency about the formation, intent, and execution of stakeholder WOTUS roundtables.

On September 20, 2022, Rouzer and Graves raised concerns about actions by EPA and Army Corps of Engineers which would expand the breadth of their regulatory authority and warned the agencies to stay within the bounds of their authority as granted by Congress.

On December 30, 2022, Rouzer and Graves criticized the Administration for moving forward with their rulemaking process.