Small business had a setback—and then a victory—in the fight to kill the EPA’s controversial rule.
The Ongoing Battle over WOTUS
The EPA’s Waters of
the United States (WOTUS) rule is all wet, according to many small business
advocates, including NFIB. The rule redefines what bodies of water would
fall under the jurisdiction of the Clean Water Act, and includes wetlands,
streams, seasonal ponds and even ditches.
RELATED: Learn more about NFIB’s history
with WOTUS.
After a vote to force
the EPA to rewrite WOTUS failed to pass in the Senate by three votes on Nov.
4, Sen. Joni Ernst of Iowa took action.
Only an hour had
passed before she brought up a resolution of disapproval to end the WOTUS rule’s
expanded definition. It only needed a majority and passed the Senate with
bipartisan support. The legislation now heads to the House of
Representatives.
“Today’s passage to
scrap the expanded WOTUS rule is a major win for our hardworking farmers,
ranchers, manufacturers and small businesses who are continuously ignored by
the EPA,” Ernst said. “It is abundantly clear that the WOTUS rule is
ill-conceived and breeds uncertainty, confusion and more red tape that
threatens the livelihoods of many in Iowa and across the country.”
Both votes were
largely symbolic because the White House has threatened to veto if they pass.
GOP Whip John Cornyn of Texas said opponents “will live to regret the decision,” Agri-Pulse reported.
“The Obama EPA’s
WOTUS rule—one of the largest federal land grabs in
history—is
yet another example of this administration’s fondness for regulatory
overreach,” said Sen. John Thune of South Dakota, co-sponsor of a bill to scrap
the WOTUS rule, in a statement. “This rule threatens more fines and increased
costs for farmers, ranchers and landowners.”
The ruling would
increase permit costs between $19.8 million and $52 million annually, according to the Office of Advocacy of the U.S. Small
Business Administration.
