Hensarling Votes to Rein in Obama EPA

WASHINGTON – U.S. Congressman Jeb Hensarling (R-TX), a leading conservative and chairman of the House Financial Services Committee, released the following statement today on H.R. 5078 – the “Waters of the United States Regulatory Overreach Protection Act” – which would stop the Obama Administration’s federal power grab and protect the long-standing federal-state partnership in the regulation of our nation’s waters.

“Since the passage of the Clean Water Act (CWA) in 1972, federal government authority has been limited to ‘navigable waters,’ and the primary responsibility for the regulation of waters has fallen to the states. This federal-state partnership has since been reaffirmed twice by the Supreme Court. 

“Never one to let something like the separation of powers stand in the way of a federal power grab, the Obama Administration’s Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) released a rule that attempts expand federal regulations by re-define navigable waterways to include things like ditches, stock tanks, and manmade ponds. 

“The bill passed by the House today would protect landowners – including the many farmers and ranchers of East Texas – from this imperial presidency run amok by stopping the EPA and Corps from imposing this or any future rules that attempt to redefine our nation’s waters. It also upholds the federal-state partnership established by the CWA to ensure the rights of state and local governments to plan for their own development and the rights of landowners to make decisions about their property.”

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