Francis Rooney: “My amendment prohibits any funding in this bill to be used to implement, administer, or enforce the rule entitled Water…”

“My amendment prohibits any funding in this bill to be used to implement, administer, or enforce the rule entitled Water Quality Standards for the State of Florida's lakes and flowing waters. Like all Floridians, I want clean and safe water, but this debate is not over whether we want clean water for Florida; it is over how we reach that goal and at what cost. This EPA mandate, which singles out Florida, will drive up the cost of doing business, double water bills for all Floridian families, and destroy jobs. By some estimates, this will cost our States an estimated approximately $2 billion. At a time when we should be attracting new companies in Florida, we cannot afford new regulations which will drive businesses out of our State and destroy jobs. Our unemployment rate is over 12 percent and at 15 percent in some parts of my district. New, costly regulations are not going to improve those numbers. The EPA has repeatedly refused to allow third-party review of the science behind the proposed mandate, and they have failed to complete an economic analysis. This regulation is not grounded in science, and all Florida should not have to serve as the guinea pig in this radical experiment. That's right, Mr. Chairman, Florida is the first State being required to comply with this Washington, D.C., mandate, and according to a recent New York Times article, an EPA official said they have no plans to implement the regulation in any other State.”