GOP Lawmakers Attack EPA Water Proposal

It is still the early months of the 114th Congress, but Republican lawmakers have already made it clear where they stand on EPA's water agenda.

"House and Senate Republicans promised [this month] to use their power to fight the EPA regulation to clarify its jurisdiction over ponds and streams," The Hill reported.

Sen. John Barrasso, R-WY, fired off some of the first shots.

“I will once again introduce legislation, working with [Senate Environment and Public Works Chairman Inhofe], to stop this bureaucratic overreach,” Barrasso said, per the report.

“And I urge my colleagues to once again join me in this effort with this legislation impacting waters of the United States,” he continued.

Barrasso illustrated his concerns with a map of Wyoming.

"The map shows the water bodies that could be covered under the EPA’s 'waters of the United States' rule proposed last March, Barrasso said," according to the report.

EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy said the map does not pertain to the rule.

Months before the election, Congressional Republicans began making noise in opposition to the EPA proposal, fueled by the aggravation of the agriculture lobby. Opponents have framed the proposal as a costly and burdensome example of government overreach.

The EPA argues that the rule is necessary because Supreme Court decisions make it unclear what the agency may regulate under the Clean Water Act. Proposed in April, the rule would clarify the definition of "waters of the U.S." in the Clean Water Act.

The GOP took over both chambers of Congress this year, giving Republican lawmakers more power to block the rule. Various claims about the proposal are unfounded, according to McCarthy.

"We're hearing some concerns that are just ludicrous.… Some say EPA will regulate small, unconnected waters ... including puddles on lawns, driveways, and playgrounds. That's just silly. This proposal is all about protecting waters that science tells us have a significant impact to downstream water quality. No more, no less," she told National Journal.

She added, "Some say that our proposal means you need a permit to walk cattle across a stream. That's not true. If cattle cross a wet field or stream, that's a 'normal farming practice.' All normal farming practices are exempt, period. We don't shrink current exemptions—we expand them."

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