Adrian Smith: “I thank Mr. Gibbs and certainly the entire committee, Chairman Shuster and others, for their work on this issue. I rise…”

“I thank Mr. Gibbs and certainly the entire committee, Chairman Shuster and others, for their work on this issue. I rise today in strong support of this legislation. I certainly appreciate clean water. However, the EPA's waters of the U.S. rule, or WOTUS, is one of the largest abuses of executive power in modern history and poses a significant threat to America's economy. Under the rule, the EPA and the Army Corps of Engineers will have the power to dictate land use decisions and farming practices of agricultural producers and businessowners all across the country. To give you an idea of the scope of the overreach and to illustrate why my colleagues from urban districts should also be concerned about this rule, I want to share with you an example of EPA and the Army Corps' abuse in Douglas County, Nebraska, with a population of over 500,000, in my home State. The President also happens to be visiting this county today. In 2005, the county began the process of submitting the proper environmental permit applications needed to extend a section of road about 1 mile. The project was designated as having the lowest level of environmental impact. However, construction is not slated to begin until at least 2019. Why the delay? There is a small ditch which runs adjacent to the proposed project. Within the ditch, there is a small rut about 6 to 8 inches wide and no more than an inch deep.…”