Waters of the U.S. Resolution of Disapproval Clears Senate

Statement

Sen. Chuck Grassley released the following statement after the Senate passed a resolution of disapproval of the Waters of the U.S. rule. Grassley is a cosponsor of the resolution, which was introduced by Sen. Joni Ernst. A resolution of disapproval is a legislative procedure used to try to overturn regulations and rules put forth by the executive branch. A simple majority of the Senate is needed for passage. The House of Representatives must now pass the resolution before it can be sent to the President. The President has threatened to veto this resolution.

"It's clear that EPA overstepped its bounds in the Waters of the U.S. rule. Federal courts said it when they determined that the rulemaking by EPA was flawed. And, now, a bipartisan majority of the Senate voiced its agreement today.

"WOTUS is a massive power grab by EPA. This was clearly an effort by a bloated federal agency to push its own agenda. The rule was crafted outside of EPA's authority in a process that left out the states and other key parties that are affected by the rule. And, legitimate concerns raised during the public comment period were ignored.

"The result of this absurd rule is not cleaner water, but a bigger roll of red tape. What EPA defines as a "navigable river' could encompass everything from a small pond to trickling creek bed to land that is dry most of the year. Under EPA's definition, WOTUS affects everyone from farmers, to construction companies to golf course managers in their day-to-day decision making. This red tape rule would require permits for just about any changes to land in 97 percent of Iowa. That would discourage common sense projects to prevent erosion or control runoff, resulting in dirtier water. Talk about Washington being an island surrounded by reality."

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