President Obama, earlier this week, had vetoed the attempt to kill the clean water rule. The Congressional Republicans have been trying to use the Congressional Review Act to overturn this regulation. However, because of Obma's vet, they fell short of the needed two-thirds vote from each chamber to overturn the veto. It passed 53 to 44 in the Senate and 253 to 166 in the House.
This is the president's ninth veto for his entire presidency term. The president's veto means he is rejecting a congressional resolution that would have overturned the Waters of the United States rule.
The rule was adopted by the Obama administration way back in 2014. It further explains and covers the waters subject to the jurisdiction of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency under the Clean Water Act.
"Too many of our waters have been left vulnerable," Obama said in a veto message to Congress. "Pollution from upstream sources ends up in the rivers, lakes, reservoirs, and coastal waters near which most Americans live and on which they depend for their drinking water, recreation, and economic development."
Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, the sponsor of the resolution, said she would not stop. Instead, she would continue to look for alternatives to have this rule undermined.
"We all want clean water," Ernst said in a statement. "This rule is not about clean water. Rather, it is about how much authority the federal government and unelected bureaucrats should have to regulate what is done on private land."
The Clean Water Rule, according to EPA, guarantees that the waters are protected. The Clean Water Act is more defined and determined, making it even easier for businesses and industries to understand. However, the rule does not, in any way, apply to any new types of waters. It also does not regulate most ditches. Furthermore, the rule is not applicable to groundwater and does not create any new permitting requirements for agriculture nor address land use or private property rights.
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