[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 18 (Tuesday, January 28, 2020)]
[House]
[Page H609]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




              COMMENDING EPA ADMINISTRATOR ANDREW WHEELER

  (Mr. LaMALFA asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. LaMALFA. Madam Speaker, I wish to commend EPA Administrator 
Andrew Wheeler for his recent clearing up of the definition of waters 
of the United States, known as WOTUS, indeed, causing a lot of woe for 
people in my district and the Western U.S., especially.
  Under the 2015 definition, it seemed every puddle, every ditch, every 
possible water source was going to be brought under the fist of the 
U.S. Government. With much dismay, many farmers, ranchers, people 
building, and people doing simple things were unable to understand what 
they were supposed to do. Indeed, it was a long arm of government 
overreach.
  What we have heard since then: ``Oh, the sky is falling. This is 
going to roll back protections.''
  These aren't protections. These are things that are way beyond the 
scope of what government should be doing.
  It limited the scope of rivers and large streams and our oceans. So 
with all of ``the sky is falling'' you are hearing, no, it isn't 
anything like that. Indeed, it is putting it back into more equitable 
space.
  What this rule does is, indeed, end the confusion and ends the 
Federal overreach and helps us get back to business and still protect 
the environment.

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