House lawmakers voted Wednesday to repeal the Environmental Protection Agency’s controversial Waters of the U.S. rule that gives the agency authority over ditches and small bodies of water on private ranches and farms.
The full House passed the resolution of disapproval, 252-166, which included a dozen Democrats joining in support of the GOP-backed legislation. A similar measure was passed in the Senate in November.
The resolution is headed to President Obama’s desk, where it faces a certain veto. The resolution to nullify the EPA water rule comes less than a day after Obama delivered his final State of the Union address to Congress.
Ahead of the Tuesday speech, the House also passed a bill to roll back overreaching regulations on the coal industry, sending a firm signal to the White House of the GOP’s opposition to his environmental agenda even though both bills will be vetoed.
“It is time to put this rule, dreamed up by Washington bureaucrats, to rest. A presidential veto would undercut property rights, environmental protection and the rule of law. Surely that’s not a ‘legacy’ any president would wish to leave,” said the conservative Hertiage Foundation’s Daren Bakst, an expert on agricultural policy.
Bakst said the rule is “actually bad for the environment because it keeps states from taking a leading role in protecting our nation’s waters, contrary to the express intent of the Clean Water Act.” He said that overreach is the reason why at least 31 states are suing the administration over the rule.
