Andy Barr: “as I listened a few moments ago to the distinguished gentleman from Michigan, I was struck with something. That is, yes…”

“as I listened a few moments ago to the distinguished gentleman from Michigan, I was struck with something. That is, yes to his question that we have had in this country tremendous improvements in the water supply and our waterways over the last 20 years or more, but let us ask ourselves, why have we seen those changes? Why have the improvements come from? Have they come from the basic Clean Water Act that we passed over a generation ago? The answer is yes. Have those improvements, has that cleaner water, come, though, from the numerous additional amendments, regulations, and bureaucrats that have been foisted on our communities, our businesses, and our local governments since that time? The answer to that question is no. What this bill does, and I rise in strong support of H.R. 961, is get us back to where we ought to be, and that is with the basic legislation that is good, and yet does not saddle our communities, our business, and ultimately, the taxpayers in this country, with needless regulation that does not do any good, other than raise the cost to our people. Let us bring balance, let us bring rationality back to this process.”