Following US Senate action on the 3 November, the US Environmental Protection Agency may be required to withdraw its controversial Waters of the United States (WOTUS) rule.
Senators, led by Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, used the Congressional Review Act (CRA) to force the EPA to re-propose a substantially different WOTUS rule. The CRA is designed to allow Congress to reject rules issued by federal agencies. On 3 November the Senate passed a motion 55 – 43 to consider the CRA and begin debate, with a vote expected to take place the following day. The US House of Representatives is expected to take a similar course of action and put pressure on the White House and EPA to rescind and rewrite the rule.
Currently, WOTUS dramatically expands the EPA’s jurisdiction under the guise of protecting waters, but is not supported by scientific or legal justification.
Adapted from press release by Rebecca Bowden