H.J. Res. 27, a resolution to overturn the Biden Administration’s flawed, burdensome “waters of the United States” (WOTUS) rule, was approved by the House of Representatives by a vote of 227 to 198. The Biden rule would lead to sweeping changes to the federal government’s authority to regulate what is considered navigable water, with enormous impacts on small businesses, manufacturers, farmers, home and infrastructure builders, local communities, water districts, and private property owners.
The resolution was introduced on February 2nd by Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chairman Sam Graves (MO-06) and Water Resources and Environment Subcommittee Chairman David Rouzer (R-NC) and was cosponsored by 170 Members of Congress. An identical resolution was introduced in the Senate by Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV) and was cosponsored by all 49 Senate Republicans. The resolution was approved by the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee on February 28th.
“American families, farmers, small businesses, and entire communities are suffering under the economic crises caused by the disastrous Biden policies of the last two years. The last thing they need is this Administration’s inexplicable decision to move the country back toward the overreaching, costly, and burdensome regulations of the past, which is exactly what this WOTUS rule does,” said Graves. “I now look forward to continuing to work with our leadership, our committee colleagues, Senator Capito, and all opponents of this unnecessary rule to ensure our legislation is sent to the President’s desk.”
“President Biden’s new WOTUS rule is a nuclear warhead aimed squarely at our farm families, small businesses, homebuilders, every property owner, and entire communities because of its overreaching definition,” said Rouzer. “Cloaked under the guise of clean water, all this rule does is expand the federal government’s control over states, localities, and private landowners, making it harder to farm, build, and generate economic prosperity. I encourage the Senate to pass this commonsense resolution to push back against onerous rules like this one.”
The full text of the resolution can be found here.
