Administration of Joseph R. Biden, Jr., 2023

May 25, 2023

The Supreme Court's disappointing decision in *Sackett *v. *EPA *will take our country backwards. It puts our Nation's wetlandsâand the rivers, streams, lakes, and ponds connected to themâat risk of pollution and destruction, jeopardizing the sources of clean water that millions of American families, farmers, and businesses rely on.

Since the Clean Water Act was passed by an overwhelming bipartisan majority in Congress in 1972, it has been used by Republican and Democratic administrations alike to help ensure Americans in every State have clean water. It is the reason why today America's lakes are swimmable, why we can fish in our streams and rivers, and why clean water comes out of our taps.

Today's decision upends the legal framework that has protected America's waters for decades. It also defies the science that confirms the critical role of wetlands in safeguarding our Nation's streams, rivers, and lakes from chemicals and pollutants that harm the health and well- being of children, families, and communities.

I am committed to protecting clean air and water for our kids for generations to come. My team will work with the Department of Justice and relevant agencies to carefully review this decision and use every legal authority we have to protect our Nation's waters for the people and communities that depend on them. We will work with States, cities, and Tribal communities to pass and uphold critical protections for their residents. Through my "Investing in America" agenda, we're already deploying historic resources in communities all across America to remove lead pipes, improve water quality, and rebuild the Nation's drinking water infrastructure.

Our fight for clean water for all must go on, and it will.

Categories: Statements by the President : Supreme Court Decision in Sackett v. Environmental Protection Agency.

Subjects: Lead service lines, replacement efforts; Sackett v. Environmental Protection Agency, Supreme Court decision; Waterway pollution, mitigation efforts; Wetland ecosystems, protection efforts.

DCPD Number: DCPD202300466.

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