Clean Water Rule Repeal Passes Congress, but Biden Will Veto
Majorities of both the U.S. House and Senate have voted in the past two weeks to slash critical protections for United States’ waters and wetlands, by approving a repeal of the Biden Administration’s Clean Water Rule.
League of Conservation Voters (LCV) Deputy Legislative Director Madeleine Foote said the vote to repeal “puts big polluter profits ahead of the health of our families and communities. This dangerous legislation would severely weaken the Clean Water Act by revoking important protections for critical waters and allowing unregulated pollution and destruction of everything from small streams to rivers to wetlands. Since the Act’s passage over 50 years ago, polluters and their allies in Congress have tried to roll back the important safeguards it provides, but polling continues to show that voters want Congress to do more, not less, to protect the waters our families, communities, and economy depend on. We look forward to President Biden’s veto of this harmful legislation and urge Congress to work to ensure that everyone, no matter their race, zip code, or income, has access to clean, safe water.”
Jon Devine, Director of Federal Water Policy at the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) agreed: “Today’s vote was reckless and had no place on the Senate’s docket. This harmful legislation seeks to gut commonsense clean water protections for streams and wetlands, putting polluters before people. This attack on the Clean Water Act was joined by all Republicans present and some Democrats. From either party, it’s indefensible. Ensuring everyone in America — regardless of their race, income, or location — has access to safe, clean water should always take priority over the profits of corporate polluters. We urge President Biden to follow through with his threat to veto this dangerous resolution and protect the waters we all depend on.”
It was just this January that the Biden Administration completed a two-year process of repealing the Trump-era Dirty Water Rule and restoring protections under the Clean Water Act for a responsible definition of “waters of the United States” (WOTUS).
President Biden has vowed to veto the repeal resolution, and neither the House nor the Senate has sufficient pro-polluter votes to override his veto on this matter.
