[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 160 (2014), Part 9]
[House]
[Page 12720]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                     EPA'S WATERS OF THE U.S. RULE

  (Mrs. BROOKS of Indiana asked and was given permission to address the 
House for 1 minute and to revise and extend her remarks.)
  Mrs. BROOKS of Indiana. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to express my 
opposition to the EPA's proposed Waters of the U.S. rule.
  This rule will dramatically expand the Clean Water Act's jurisdiction 
by changing current law that limits EPA's authority to ``navigable 
waters.'' Under this new rule, EPA authority will apply to any body of 
water that has a bed, a bank, or a high water mark.
  Hoosier farmers explain to me that this new rule means that large 
puddles left after a storm will fall under the EPA's jurisdiction. 
Farmers may have to get a permit to perform even the most basic tasks 
on their own land.
  My constituents brought me these photos to show what changing the 
rule will mean. As you can see, this is not a stream, it is not a 
navigable body of water or a longstanding body of water. It should not 
be regulated by the EPA. It happened just after a large rainfall.
  Mr. Speaker, this rule change will prevent farmers from doing their 
jobs, put people out of work, and increase food prices. It is bad for 
our Nation's landowners, it is bad for our Nation's farmers, and it is 
bad for Americans trying to put an affordable meal on the table.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask EPA to withdraw this rule.

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