The Senate on April 21 rejected an amendment to the FY17 Energy and Water appropriations bill (H.R. 2028) that would have barred the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers from implementing its controversial Clean Water Rule.
Proposed by Sen. John Hoeven (R-N.D.), the amendment would have blocked the rule’s implementation through the end of the 2017 fiscal year. It marks the latest in a long line of attempts by congressional Republicans to reverse the rule, even though President Obama would almost certainly veto any such bill that reached his desk.
The vote closely followed party lines, with nearly all voting Republicans joining four Democrats in supporting the amendment, and all remaining Democrats opposing it. The final vote was 56 – 42 in favor of the amendment, which fell four votes short of the 60 necessary to pass.
Sen. Hoeven is expected to offer a similar amendment to an EPA appropriations bill the Senate may consider later this year