Political Quotes

“I rise to speak in support of the CRA, Congressional Review Act amendment on the waters of the United States, of my colleague from Iowa. West Virginia is no stranger to the crushing consequences of harmful regulations. Our unemployment rate is the largest in the Nation. Layoff notices keep coming and declining revenues from coal severance taxes are eroding our State's budget. I read an article earlier today saying that this far into the fiscal year in the State of West Virginia we have a deficit of $91 million. The EPA and the Army Corps of Engineers waters of the United States rule, known as the WOTUS rule, is just the latest example of a regulatory environment that threatens to put West Virginians and other Americans out of business. Everyone can agree--and the Senator from Texas just talked about this and I know the Senator from Iowa has talked about it frequently--that we must protect our drinking water resources, and we also must protect our precious natural resources, but a rule that subjects puddles and ditches to regulations just goes too far. The EPA's unprecedented expansion of Federal authority has very serious consequences, both in the State I represent, West Virginia, and throughout the rest of the country. In my State of West Virginia, the steep mountainous terrain means that the EPA would have oversight over any land located in the valley or low-lying area.…”