WASHINGTON, D.C. – Rep. Glenn “GT” Thompson, chairman of the House Committee on Agriculture, cosponsored a Waters of the United States (WOTUS) resolution of disapproval under the Congressional Review Act.
Rep. Sam Graves (MO-06), Chairman of the Transportation and Infrastructure (T&I) Committee, and Rep. David Rouzer (NC-07), Chairman of the T&I Water Resources Subcommittee and senior Member of the House Committee on Agriculture, led the resolution.
“Farmers, ranchers and landowners deserve a WOTUS definition that is fair to agriculture and maintains the historical reach of the Clean Water Act – neither of which is accomplished by this rule,” Thompson said. “Rather than providing certainty, the Biden Administration has exposed our rural communities to further ambiguity and regulatory burdens that hinder producers’ ability to provide a safe and affordable food supply.”
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers released a final rule on Dec. 30, 2022 to again redefine WOTUS per the Clean Water Act. This is the third time in seven years the agencies have attempted to rewrite this definition, including only two years after the agencies finalized the 2020 Navigable Waters Rule, which had finally provided certainty for farmers, ranchers and landowners.