From Congressman Davis’ Office
Washington, DC – U.S. Rep. Rodney Davis (R-Ill.) today released the following statement after President Obama vetoed Senate Joint Resolution 22, disapproval of the EPA’s “waters of the United States” or WOTUS rule.
“It’s disappointing that just days after President Obama spoke about cutting ‘red tape’ in his State of the Union address, he doubles-down on a rule that could add burdensome permitting requirements for any farmer with a drainage ditch or pond on their land. This is just another overstep by the administration that will be battled out in the courts leaving much uncertainty for the agriculture community and our nation’s economy.
“The EPA has no business regulating ditches and retention ponds. The counties, cities, farmers, and landowners who have them on their properties do not need additional permitting bureaucracy and expenses. This is exactly the kind of unnecessary and unreasonable regulation that I hope will be prevented once the EPA implements the Agricultural Science Committee that I fought to create. Our farmers need a seat at the table when the EPA is making these rules. I look forward to raising this issue again with EPA Administrator McCarthy when she testifies before the House Agriculture Committee next week.”
WOTUS seeks to expand the EPA’s jurisdiction under the Clean Water Act to areas that are traditionally dry. This rule has been challenged by 32 states and two courts have prevented the rule from going forward while litigation continues.
Davis is the author of a provision in the 2014 Farm Bill that created an agriculture subcommittee within EPA’s Science Advisory Board to give farmers a stronger voice by reviewing EPA actions that could negatively impact agriculture. Davis continues to push the EPA to follow the law and implement the board as soon as possible.
EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy is scheduled to testify before the House Agriculture Committee on Tuesday, January 26 at 9:00am CST at a hearing on the impact of the EPA’s actions on the rural economy.
