By Congressman Sam Graves
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Last Thursday was a long time coming. We finally ditched one of the worst government regulations in my lifetime — the Obama Administration’s disastrous “Waters of the U.S.” (WOTUS) rule.
Back in 2015, then-President Obama and his band of unelected bureaucrats at the EPA, finalized the WOTUS rule — trying to define farm ponds, streams, and ditches as “navigable waters” that could be used for interstate and international commerce.
This outrageous government overreach would have given the EPA the authority to regulate more than 99% of Missouri farmland however they saw fit. Ultimately, it would have required landowners to seek permission from the EPA to do almost anything on their own land.
Opposition to the Obama Administration rule was loud and fierce. Farmers, small business owners, landowners, local communities, and many others spoke out loudly against the rule — in North Missouri and across the country. As a sixth-generation farmer, I strongly opposed the new rule from the start because I knew just how devastating it would be to rural America.
That’s why I worked diligently to delay, block, and fight the onerous WOTUS rule. Today, I’m proud to say common sense finally prevailed.
Earlier, I joined members of the Trump administration along with business and agriculture leaders to announce that the Obama WOTUS rule is no more. Like many in rural America, I am thrilled the Trump Administration listened to the people and kept its promise to ditch the rule.