U.S. SENATE —Senator Steve Daines today worked to defend Montana farmers, ranchers and land owners from the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) greatly expanded Waters of the United States (WOTUS) rule.
Senate Democrats once again blocked efforts to stop President Obama’s WOTUS rule that is a direct threat to Montana’s agriculture and natural resources industries, jobs and water rights.
“It is shameful that once again Senate Democrats would rather defend President Obama’s overreaching policies than stand up for hardworking farmers, ranchers and land owners,” Daines stated. “Montanans who live and work on the land every day know how to best manage our state’s resources – not federal bureaucrats in Washington who want to regulate every pond, puddle and ditch in our state.”
Today 4 Senate Democrats voted on behalf farmers, ranchers and landowners instead of standing in lockstep with President Obama’s Employment Prevention Agency.
In January, Senate Democrats blocked a veto override for S.J.Res. 22, a joint resolution Daines helped introduce to disapprove of the EPA’s overreaching WOTUS rule.
Last October, the U.S. Sixth Circuit Court of Appeal’s issued a nationwide stay on EPA’s misguided WOTUS rule.
Daines has been an outspoken critic of President Obama’s WOTUS power grab. Daines is also cosponsor of 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. Senate Democrats blocked this legislation from advancing on November 3, 2015.
Daines’ efforts to stop the EPA’s greatly expanded powers through new WOTUS regulations were applauded across Montana, including by the Montana Chamber of Commerce, Montana Stockgrowers Association Montana Grain Growers Association, Montana Farm Bureau, Montana Wool Growers Association, Montana Mining Association, Montana Petroleum Association and the Montana Building Industry.
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