Press Releases

WASHINGTON – Congressman John Duarte (CA-13) issued the following statement on the vote to override President Biden’s veto of H.J. Res. 27, reversing his misguided WOTUS rule:   

“I am proud to have voted yet again in favor of reversing President Biden’s overreaching WOTUS rule. The Biden Administration continues to put the interests of far-left activists ahead of American farmers, small businesses, and working families. His recent veto ignores the will of a duly elected, bipartisan majority in both the House and Senate.

I hope more of my Democrat colleagues realize the severe and devastating impacts that this rule will have. Supply chain issues, increased energy costs, and inflation are all hurting our farmers, the last thing we need to do is regulate them out of existence. Amidst a time of massive uncertainty and fragility in our food supply chain, now is not the time to penalize family farms,” said Rep. Duarte (CA-13).  

Watch Congressman Duarte's full remarks here.

Key Background: 

• On February 2, 2023, the House of Representatives voted to overturn President Biden’s WOTUS rule, with the Senate following suit on March 29, 2023. President Biden vetoed the bipartisan, bicameral resolution of disproval on April 6, 2023.  

• WOTUS is authorized under the Clean Water Act, under the jurisdiction of the EPA, which gives definition to what waters and types of waters fall under federal jurisdiction.

• The recently redefined WOTUS term brings back the “Significant Nexus” approach that was done away with under the previous Administration’s “Navigable Waters Protection Rule”. This approach deems any water, at the discretion of the Army Corps of Engineers, that has a significant nexus to a navigable waterway, falls under the jurisdiction and protections of the Clean Water Act.