https://www.hoosieragtoday.com/braun-ernst-introduce-define-wotus-act-senate/
U.S. Senator Mike Braun (R-IN) and U.S. Senator Joni Ernst (R-IA) introduced the “Define WOTUS Act,” which reasserts Congressional responsibility to define the term Waters of the United States (WOTUS).
“President Trump and his Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) are working hard to fix this atrocious Obama-era rule. But as the Administration has repeatedly noted, it’s Congress job to write laws. the Define WOTUS Act will solidify and amplify the Administration’s work on WOTUS,” said U.S. Senator Mike Braun. “I am proud to join with President Trump who is doing a tremendous job deregulating these job-killing regulations that hurt Hoosier farmers and those who reside in the Heartland of America.”
“The Obama-era WOTUS rule threatened Iowa’s farmers, manufacturers, and small businesses by giving the federal government authority to regulate water on 97 percent of land in our state,” said U.S. Senator Joni Ernst. “President Trump and his administration have taken tremendous steps to roll back this far-reaching regulation and provide for more certainty with a new, clearer definition of WOTUS. But it’s the job of Congress to make a new, reasonable definition permanent, and that’s what this bill does—it ensures more predictability and workability for Iowans for years to come.”
Colin Woodall, Senior Vice President of Government Affairs, National Cattlemen’s Beef Association said, “America’s cattle producers welcome today’s introduction of the Define WOTUS Act. The Trump Administration is working hard to repeal and replace the illegally broad 2015 WOTUS Rule, but finalization of a practical WOTUS definition is only the beginning. EPA will spend years proving what the Senate made clear today: Congress intends the management of America’s waters to be accomplished through cooperative federalism. NCBA appreciates Senator Braun’s leadership, and additionally appreciates the Define WOTUS Act’s inclusion of NCBA’s science-based proposal of 185 flow days per year for determining federal jurisdiction.”
