Senators: EPA ignores will of the people

As published in: Des Moines Register

Recently, The Des Moines Register praised the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for its intended mission, but ignored its tendency to overreach and bypass the will of Congress.

The Register says the EPA should be enforcing laws according to the intent of Congress, but unelected bureaucrats are ignoring the will of the American people. Just recently, the EPA’s Waters of the United States (WOTUS) rule was put on pause when the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals granted Iowans, and the rest of the nation, a reprieve from this harmful rule.

There is no question that we all want clean water to drink and clean air to breathe. Unfortunately, the Obama administration has made it a habit to go beyond the congressional intent of the Clean Air Act and the Clean Water Act. In fact, this administration has gone around Congress to enact a national energy policy that they know could not pass in the legislative branch.

Farmers across Iowa know what is best for their land; better than Washington bureaucrats. What works for a farmer in Maryland or California, does not necessarily work for a farmer in Iowa.

There is no question that the WOTUS rule ignores the thoughtful comments and serious concerns raised by farmers, ranchers, manufacturers and small businesses. Furthermore, its expanded definition causes confusion, uncertainty and unnecessary red tape for no identifiable environmental gain. This one-size-fits-all method is the wrong approach that puts our agriculture community at a disadvantage. That is why we have been working with our colleagues to scrap this reckless rule entirely.

Over the last several years, the EPA has fallen increasingly out of touch with the American people, and as a result, the agency has lost their trust.

Rather than implement policies that encourage growth and opportunity for our agriculture industry and small businesses while protecting the environment, we see an EPA that imposes burdensome red tape on hardworking Iowans for miniscule prospective impact on our air, soil, and water.

We are not opposed to sensible regulations.  However, we are committed to demanding the EPA listen to the common-sense voice of Iowans who know what these rules mean for them and their families.

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