WASHINGTON—U.S. Senator John Boozman (R-AR) today released the following statement after voting to override President Obama’s veto of legislation that would block implementation of the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) flawed ‘waters of the U.S.’ (WOTUS) rule:

“By vetoing this resolution, President Obama once again has ignored the will of the American people and put the interests of Washington bureaucrats before those of Arkansans.

There is no denying that this costly and heavy-handed rule will take away the ability of Arkansas landowners to control and maintain their property. It is entirely unnecessary as we already protect water quality through long-standing provisions of the federal Clean Water Act, as well as initiatives at the state and local level and the efforts of private citizens. We don’t need Washington telling us how to protect our resources.

This Obama administration rule is just an effort to put Washington rule-makers in complete control. My colleagues and I will continue to fight this power grab legislatively and support the efforts of states’ attorney generals, like Arkansas’s Attorney General Leslie Rutledge, who are leading this fight in the courts. We can protect our waters while preserving the rights of families, small businesses and other landowners. This overreach is not the answer.”

Background: Last November, the Senate passed S.J.Res.22, a joint resolution of disapproval of the WOTUS rule that would nullify it. Last week, the House of Representatives passed the resolution and sent it to the President’s desk. President Obama vetoed the resolution, setting up today’s vote to override.

The veto override failed by a vote of 52-40.

Boozman is an original cosponsor of S.J.Res.22.

A U.S. Circuit Court ruling extended an earlier injunction by a federal district court that blocked implementation in 13 states, including Arkansas, this past October. The 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals extended the earlier injunction to all 50 states.

In December, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) found that the EPA violated federal law when promoting its WOTUS rule.

For an in-depth explanation of why the WOTUS rule is bad for Americans, visit Boozman’s website at: https://www.boozman.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?p=waters-of-the-united-states-wotus