Sen. Cruz Votes to Curb Obama’s Unconstitutional WOTUS Rule

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) voted on two bills that would rein in Obama’s regulatory state. First, Sen. Cruz voted to begin consideration of Sen. John Barrasso’s (R-Wyo.) Federal Water Quality Protection Act, S. 1140, which would halt the Obama Administration’s “Waters of the United States” rule and force the Administration to go back to the drawing board by revising the rule in order to protect Americans and their private property. Sen. Barrasso’s bill did not meet the requisite 60-vote threshold necessary to proceed to debate.  

Following this vote, Sen. Cruz voted in favor of a motion to proceed to debate on Sen. Joni Ernst’s (R-Iowa) S.J. Res. 22, which Sen. Cruz cosponsored with 48 of his colleagues. This measure would nullify the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) and Army Corps of Engineers’ “Waters of the United States” rule, which massively expands the scope of federal authority over land and waterways in the United States.  Earlier this fall, the 6th Circuit ordered a stay on the implementation of this rule to allow litigation to proceed. 

“The Obama Administration continues to wage a war on jobs, making it harder and harder for hardworking Americans to provide for their families. This rule is unconstitutional, plain and simple. The EPA’s new WOTUS rule is costly and tremendously harmful to families, farmers, and ranchers in Texas and across the country and would allow the federal government to determine what one can and cannot do with your own property,” Sen. Cruz said.

“It also directly contradicts the legislative language in the Clean Water Act by expanding the EPA and Army Corps’ regulatory authority to unprecedented levels.  Not only does the rule demonstrate the agencies’ refusal to abide by the law, the unelected bureaucrats implementing this rule are ignoring the will of the people, who overwhelmingly want this abusive rule to be rescinded.”

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