U.S. Rep. Harold "Hal" Rogers (KY-05) released the following statement after the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 6th Circuit ordered a nationwide stay on a rule drafted by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers redefining "Waters of the United States," also known as WOTUS.  The federal court in Ohio put the rule on hold in an effort to streamline a decision on its legality, pending litigation in multiple courts across the country. 

"I have said it before, and I'll say it again: President Obama has repeatedly tested the limits of the U.S. Constitution with his radical, anti-coal regulatory agenda. Today, the federal courts have signaled that it's time to pump the breaks," said Rogers, a long-time member of the Congressional Coal Caucus. "Coal operators, farmers, small business owners and entrepreneurs across the country are already overwhelmed by the EPA's heavy-handed regulations, which are killing good-paying jobs in our communities. This court's decision is a step in the right direction, and I'll continue to fight for legislation that reverses this rule and restores some sanity to the permitting process in this country."

Earlier this year, both chambers of Congress passed legislation aimed at reversing the WOTUS rule. The U.S. House of Representatives passed the Regulatory Integrity Protection Act of 2015 (H.R. 1732) and the U.S. Senate passed the Federal Water Quality Protect Act (S 1140). As Chairman of the House Appropriations Committee, Rogers has also included language in the Fiscal Year 2016 spending bills for the Corps and EPA that would prohibit the agencies from moving forward with this rule.

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