US House panel votes to block clean water rule

The House Appropriations Committee voted to block EPA’s proposed “waters of the United States” rule as part of a fiscal 2015 interior and environment spending bill. Members approved the bill on a mostly party-line vote of 29-19. “Republicans have derided the measure as a brazen power grab that could result in the EPA expanding its jurisdiction to ponds, trenches or even dry riverbeds,” said The Hill newspaper. Virginia Democrat Jim Moran said the two dozen EPA riders on the bill are veto bait.

The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association said the bill also would block the listing of the sage grouse as endangered and would length the term of grazing permits to 20 years, from the current 10 years.

Iowa Sen Charles Grassley said, with Congress likely to roll several of the spending bills into an catch-all bill this fall, he hoped that Senate Republicans would insist on similar language to block the clean-water rule. “I hope we would be able to force that at the last minute,” he told reporters.

For an Appropriations Committee statement on the bill and links to the bill text and accompanying report, click here.

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