Sessions votes to protect the rights of states

Washington, DC – Congressman Pete Sessions (R-TX), chairman of the House Rules Committee, today released the following statement on the House’s passage of a bill (H.R. 1732) that restricts the administration’s efforts to expand federal jurisdiction over additional bodies of water under the Clean Water Act. The bill prohibits the EPA and the Army Corps of Engineers from implementing a proposed rule that would expand the scope of waters covered by the CWA and requires them to formulate new recommendations in conjunction with state and local officials and other stakeholders.

“Today the House of Representatives took a step to limit the power of the federal government and to prevent unnecessary regulations in relation to the Clean Water Act. State and local governments should not be ignored but empowered to play a prominent role in the decisions that will impact their communities and the rules governing their water resources. The Regulatory Integrity Protection Act of 2015 requires the EPA and the Army Corps of Engineers to halt the implementation of a rule that expands the power of the federal government to regulate bodies of water to make certain that state and local input is taken into consideration. I applaud the passage of this legislation and encourage the Senate to act on this important bill.” 

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Created:
May 12, 2015