This Fight Isn’t Over

Dear Friend,

This week I led the House of Representatives in an effort to overturn President Biden’s veto of H.J. Res. 27. That’s my bill, which would rescind his deeply flawed Waters of the United States (WOTUS) rule.

Republicans and Democrats came together against the President’s burdensome WOTUS rule. This isn’t a partisan issue. We all want to protect clean water, and the best way to do that is to focus on enforcing the Clean Water Act as it was originally intended.

Congress passed the Clean Water Act to keep factories from dumping toxic chemicals into our waterways. It was never meant to be weaponized to stop farmers from plowing fields,  ranchers from building ponds, or families from building homes. But that’s exactly what has happened.

And the President’s new WOTUS rule takes this overreach even further. It empowers the EPA to regulate virtually every inch of American farmland and real estate. Not only does that cause headaches for farmers and families, but it also prevents agencies from focusing on where the real problems are.

This isn’t a Republican or Democratic issue. It’s a problem for farmers, families, and homeowners everywhere—regardless of where your politics lie. While a bipartisan coalition stood against the President’s rule, ultimately, we came up a few votes short of overturning his veto.

That said, this fight isn’t over. The President’s new WOTUS rule has already been halted by the courts in 26 states—including Missouri. In addition, the Supreme Court is set to rule soon on a case out of Idaho—Sackett v. EPA—which could finally ditch this overreach once and for all.

We came up a bit short this week, but I’m going to keep working to rein in federal overreach so America’s farmers and ranchers can get back to doing what we do best—feed the world.

Sincerely,

Sam Graves