Providing for Consideration of HR 5078, Waters of the United States Regulatory Overreach Protection Act of 2014, and Providing for Consideration of H Res 644, Disapproval of the Administration's Failure to Notify Congress Before Releasing Individuals from Guantanamo Bay

Floor Speech

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Madam Speaker, there is a clear sense in my district, and I believe around the country, that the constant expansion of the Federal Government and its bureaucratic red tape is holding back our economy.

One the worst offenders of government is the overreach of the EPA. The proposed rule they jointly released with the Army Corps attempts to regulate waters that were never intended to be covered under the Clean Water Act, and would grant them authority over streams on land even when the water beds have been dry, in some cases, for hundreds of years. This is a serious threat to both private property rights and our economy.

As the chairman of the Interior Appropriations Subcommittee, I have worked along with our subcommittee members to try to rein in EPA's regulatory overreach.

The fiscal year 2015 bill prohibits the EPA from changing the definition of navigable waters. It is absolutely critical that we uphold the Federal-State partnership and prevent the administration from finalizing a rule that results in the biggest land grab in the history of our country.

So we need to support this rule to bring this important legislation to the floor. And I certainly hope that all the Members will support it.

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