Energy Policy Modernization Bill and Wotus
Floor Speech
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Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, next week the Senate will turn to broad, bipartisan energy legislation. The Energy Policy Modernization Act will help bring our energy policies in line with the demands of today and the opportunities of tomorrow. It will help Americans produce more energy. It will help Americans pay less for energy. It will help Americans save energy. That is what the Energy Policy Modernization Act will do. Here is what the Energy Policy Modernization Act won't do: It won't raise taxes. It won't add a dime to the deficit.
The broad Energy bill is a result of a truly bipartisan process, and it shows, which is why it was supported in committee by a vote of 18 to 4.
I look forward to debating the bipartisan Energy bill starting next week, but we won't have to wait until then to consider bipartisan legislation. We will consider a different bipartisan measure today. S.J. Res. 22 passed in November with the support of several Democratic colleagues, and it would have overturned the Obama administration's waters of the United States regulation.
Here is what our Democratic colleagues have had to say about WOTUS: A Democratic Senator from West Virginia has used phrases such as ``completely unreasonable'' and ``dangerously overreaching'' when discussing the issue. A Democratic Senator from North Dakota said that ``there is not one single regulation in the entire country that has caused more concern'' in her State. A Democratic Senator from Indiana said it was ``incredibly important'' that the rule be rewritten. That is just what the Democrats are saying.
The administration has tried to spin WOTUS as some kind of clean water measure, but a bipartisan majority of Congress understands it is really a Federal power grab clumsily masquerading as one. WOTUS would grant Federal bureaucrats dominion over nearly every piece of land that touches a pothole, ditch, or puddle. It would force the Americans who live there to ask Federal bureaucrats for permission to do just about anything with their very own property. That is why Congress sent bipartisan legislation to the President to overturn it. His decision to veto that bipartisan measure made a few things quite clear: No. 1, he apparently stands with Washington bureaucrats on this issue, not the American people. No. 2, he apparently thinks America's clean water rule should be based on Washington politics, not a scientific and truly collaborative process.
It was good to see Democratic colleagues stand with the American people when we first passed this bill. I ask the rest of the Democratic caucus to join with us now to do the right thing. Vote with us to override a veto that is about Federal power grabs and Washington politics, not clean water and the American people.
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