U.S. SENATE —U.S. Senator Steve Daines today released the following statement on the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) first steps to rewrite the overreaching Waters of the United States (WOTUS) Rule.
“Today marks the beginning of restoring private property rights while protecting our environment,” Daines stated. “Out of state D.C. bureaucrats shouldn’t impose regulations that hurt Montana farmers, ranchers and landowners.”
Daines has long been working to protect Montana farmers, ranchers, landowners and their private property rights from the overreaching WOTUS rule.
On February 28, 2017, Daines praised President Donald J. Trump’s executive actions to revise former President Barack Obama’s overreaching WOTUS Rule.
On December 6, 2016, Daines wrote to President Trump urging him to revise the WOTUS rule.
On June 16, 2016, the Senate Committee on Appropriations passed the bipartisan FY2017 Interior, Environment and Related Agencies Appropriations Bill which prohibits the implementation of the Waters of the United States rule.
On June 14, 2016, the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on the Interior, Environment and Related Agencies, of which Daines is a member, approved a bill that would prohibit the WOTUS rule.
On May 31, 2016, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled unanimously that property owners could file suit against the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers over the agency’s determination that their land contains “waters of the United States” covered by the Clean Water Act, which provides criminal and civil liabilities for violations.
On April 21, 2016, Daines voted for U.S. Senator John Hoeven’s (R-ND) bipartisan amendment (#3811) to the Energy and Water Appropriations Bill that would have blocked the WOTUS rule.
On January 21, 2016, Daines released a statement after the U.S. Senate failed to gain enough votes to override President Obama’s veto of S.J.Res 22.
On January 19, 2016, President Obama chose to defend his failed policies over protecting Montanans’ livelihoods by vetoing Congressional efforts to repeal Obama’s overreaching new WOTUS rule.
On January 13, 2016, Daines applauded the U.S. House of Representatives’ passage of S.J.Res.22, a joint resolution Daines helped introduced to disapprove of the EPA’s new, overreaching WOTUS rules.
On November 24, 2015, Daines highlighted the how WOTUS will give the federal government “unprecedented power to regulate irrigated ditches, prairie potholes and other small bodies of water that may be temporary or seasonal” in a statewide editorial.
On November 4, 2015, Daines appeared on Stuart Varney’s on FOX Business to stand up for the rights of landowners, ranchers and farmers across the country.
On November 4, 2015, Daines applauded the bipartisan Senate passage of legislation nullifying the EPA’s greatly expanded WOTUS rule and reaffirmed his commitment to stopping the Obama administration’s overreach through any means possible.
On November 3, 2015, Daines took to the Senate floor to underscore his commitment to stopping WOTUS.
On November 3, 2015, the Senate failed to advance S. 1140, the Federal Water Quality Protection Act that would direct the EPA and Army Corps of Engineers to issue a revised WOTUS rule that protects traditional navigable water from water pollution, while also protecting farmers, ranchers and private landowners. Daines is a cosponsor of S. 1140.
On October 9, 2015, Daines applauded the U.S. Sixth Circuit Court of Appeal’s decision to issue a nationwide stay on EPA’s misguided WOTUS rule.
On October 26, 2015, Daines introduces The Regulatory Authority Clarification Act that provides another tool to restrict and define agencies’ broad rulemaking ability that has the ability to harm Montanans, like the recently published so-called Clean Power Plan and WOTUS.
On September 17, 2015, Daines along with 46 U.S. Senate co-sponsors introduced a joint resolution disapproving the EPA’s greatly expanded WOTUS rule, which directly threatens Montana agriculture and energy production, Montanans’ property rights and Montana jobs.
On August 27, 2015, Daines released a statement after a federal district court blocked the EPA from implementing its new regulation broadly expanding the definition of WOTUS.
On June 29, 2015, EPA published the WOTUS rule in the Federal Register. The rule was set to become effective on 8/28/15.
On June, 29, 2015, Daines released a statement on Montana Attorney General Tim Fox and 12 other states’ lawsuit against the EPA and the Corps over the new regulation broadly expanding the definition of WOTUS.
On June 2, 2015, Daines co-sponsored S. 1140, the Federal Water Quality Protection Act, that would direct the EPA and Army Corps of Engineers to issue a revised WOTUS rule that protects traditional navigable water from water pollution, while also protecting farmers, ranchers and private landowners.
On May, 27, 2015, President Obama announced his overreaching WOTUS rule, upon release Daines slammed the newly released EPA’s WOTUS rule as “this new rule has the potential to cripple Montana’s agriculture and natural resources industries, hurt Montana jobs and threaten Montanans’ property rights.”
On November 13, 2014, Congressman Daines requested a 9-day comment period extension for the EPA and Corps to revision to the Clean Water Act definition of WOTUS.
On September 9, 2014, Congressman Steve Daines received a letter from the Montana Agricultural Business Association, Montana Building Industry Association, Montana Chamber of Commerce, Montana Coal Council, Montana Contractors Association, Montana Contractors Association, Montana Farm Bureau Federation, Montana Grain Growers Association, Montana Petroleum Association, Montana Association of REALTORS, Montana Stockgrowers Association, Montana Water Resources Association, Montana Growers Association, and the Treasure State Resource Industry Association voicing their serious concerns with the rule.
On September 9, 2014, Congressman Daines joined a bipartisan majority in House of Representatives in passing the Waters of the United States Regulatory Overreach Protection Act (H.R. 5078). This legislation protects Montana electrical cooperatives and the agriculture industry from the EPA’s federal regulatory overreach that would hinder economic growth and threaten property rights. Daines release is available here.
On April 21, 2014, the EPA and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) proposed a rule to define WOTUS under the Clean Water Act.
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