Democrats, Republicans Split Over EPA WOTUS Rewrite

A partisan split was clear as the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee discussed the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) rewrite of the 2015 "Waters of the U.S." (WOTUS) rule this week.

Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, said changes proposed by EPA give "much-needed predictability and certainty by establishing clear and reasonable definitions of what qualifies as an actual water of the United States."

However, Democrats pointed to a report by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) that found almost half of wetlands and one fifth of streams and temporary waters would lose Clean Water Act protections under EPA's proposal.

Others lawmakers cited extensive and ongoing litigation around the 2015 rule, that has resulted in stays on implementation covering 26 states. Revising WOTUS will "guarantee a lot more litigation," warned Sen. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md.