Washington, D.C. – Congressman Jim Banks (IN-03) today announced that he has introduced an amendment to the 2018 farm bill that would permanently repeal the Obama-era Waters of the United States (WOTUS) rule. The House is expected to debate the farm bill next week.
“WOTUS has been a burden not only to Hoosier famers and agriculture producers but also to our state’s economy as a whole,” said Banks. “While I applaud the EPA’s efforts to delay this damaging Obama-era rule, it is time to repeal it once and for all.” Text of the Banks amendment is below:
The final rule issued by the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency and the Secretary of the Army entitled ‘‘Clean Water Rule: Definition of ‘Waters of the United States’’’, published on June 29, 2015 (80 6 Fed. Reg. 37054), is repealed, and any regulation or policy revised under, or otherwise affected as a result of, that rule shall be applied as if that rule had not been issued.
Congressman Banks recently explained why it is important to permanently repeal WOTUS in the Fort Wayne Journal Gazette.