Press release:
Congresswoman Claudia Tenney (NY-24) voted to override President Biden’s veto of H.J. Res. 27, a bipartisan resolution to overturn the Administration’s deeply flawed and burdensome “Waters of the United States” (WOTUS) rule. The legislation passed by a vote of 227-196 but failed to achieve the two-thirds necessary for a veto override.
President Biden’s overly broad WOTUS rule would redefine the Environmental Protection Agency’s definition of a “navigable” waterway to include small seasonal streams, small ponds, and even large amounts of groundwater. This vague and overreaching rule would drastically expand the government’s authority, increasing its power over farmers and producers throughout New York’s 24th Congressional District.
In January, Tenney and 195 House Republicans sent a letter to the Biden administration calling on it to reconsider this damaging rule. Tenney was also an original co-sponsor of H.J. Res. 27, which passed the House in February and the Senate in March, both with bipartisan support. The resolution, passed under the Congressional Review Act, would nullify Biden’s WOTUS rule. President Biden vetoed the resolution earlier this month.
"With his veto of H.J. Res. 27, President Biden proved once again that he continues to prioritize far-left activists over our nation's farmers and landowners," said Congresswoman Tenney. "Earlier this month as part of my Farm Bill Listening Tour, I met with farmers and producers across New York’s 24th District, who expressed concerns that Biden's WOTUS rule was overly broad and poorly defined. Our region’s farmers are among the best stewards of our natural environment, and they should be viewed as important partners in conversation efforts. Instead, this bill targets them with even more regulations, which are overly burdensome and will drive up costs at a time of already soaring inflation.”
Photo: File photo by Howard Owens.
