Bud Shuster: “I strongly oppose this motion to recommit. First of all, it has nothing to do with drought. Second, it is just a…”

“I strongly oppose this motion to recommit. First of all, it has nothing to do with drought. Second, it is just a backdoor attempt to allow the EPA to take control of all the waters in America. In addition to that, my colleagues from California have tried, time and time again, to work with their colleagues on the other side of the aisle to solve this drought problem in California, but my colleagues on the other side of the aisle have refused to work together. Again, this has nothing to do with drought. The purpose of H.R. 1732 is to uphold the Federal-State partnership in regulating the Nation's waters by maintaining the balance between the States and the Federal Government in carrying out the Clean Water Act. H.R. 1732 restricts the administration's current administrative efforts to expand Federal jurisdiction under the Clean Water Act and requires the Agency to engage in federalism consultation with their State and local partners to implement the Clean Water Act. However, this motion is designed to undermine the legislation by giving the EPA unfettered discretion in making State water quality determinations in order to allow the EPA to continue to implement this flawed rule. In effect, the amendment says that the underlying bill will not apply virtually anywhere the EPA decides that the bill should not apply. This amendment would further erode the Federal and State partnership that H.R. 1732 seeks to preserve.…”