Hawkeye Reporter

WASHINGTON — On May 25, 2023, the U.S. Supreme Court rightfully ruled in Sackett v. Environmental Protection Agency, overturning Biden’s ill-conceived Waters of the United States (WOTUS) rule and narrowing the scope of the Clean Water Act.

“I’m glad to see the Supreme Court rightfully and unanimously blocked Biden’s ill-conceived Waters of the United States rule. The federal government has no authority to impose blanket jurisdiction over puddles, waters, and wetlands with vague, overreaching regulations on behalf of Biden’s ever-changing climate agenda,” said Senator Ernst. “This is a big WIN for Iowa, where nearly every industry is impacted by WOTUS, including 46,000 small businesses and countless farmers. I’ve long fought to put in place a permanent, clear, and commonsense WOTUS definition, and will continue working to bring much-needed certainty to Iowa’s job creators.”

Background:

In March, Ernst supported a bipartisan effort to overturn the Biden administration’s WOTUS rule. The resolution, which passed the Senate, came after the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers announced a rule to repeal the Trump administration’s Navigable Waters Protection Rule (NWPR) and expand federal regulatory authority.

In April, Ernst joined 45 senators and 154 House members on an amicus curiae brief filed in the U.S. Supreme Court in support of the petitioners in Sackett v. EPA.

As Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship, Ernst highlighted the impact Biden’s WOTUS rule would have on an estimated 4.3 million small businesses in critical industries.

Since 2015, Senator Ernst has been fighting against harmful WOTUS rules, like this one, to nullify the expanded and overreaching regulations on Iowa farmers and small business owners. 

Original source can be found here.