Republicans this month continued efforts to block implementation of the controversial “Waters of the U.S.” (WOTUS) rule proposed by EPA and the Army Corps of Engineers, winning committee passage of a bill requiring a do-over of the rulemaking process.
Approved largely along party lines this month by the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, the “Regulatory Integrity Protection Act” (H.R. 1732) would force the Corps and EPA to withdraw the proposed WOTUS rule within 30 days. EPA and the Corps would then have to start over and develop a new proposed rule to define the scope of the Clean Water Act following an extensive consultation with members of the public, state and local officials, and other stakeholders “representing a broad cross-section of regional, economic, and geographic perspectives.”
Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chairman Bill Shuster (R-Penn.) said the bill would “stop this flawed rule, ensure the proper regulatory process is followed, and continue the balanced approach to regulating the Nation’s waters that has worked well for decades.” However, the measure would face an almost-certain veto if it were to reach President Obama’s desk.