Source: United States Senator for Arkansas – John Boozman
WASHINGTON—U.S. Senator John Boozman (R-AR) voted to block the Biden administration’s Waters of the United States (WOTUS) rule and rein in federal regulatory authority as the Senate advanced a Congressional Review Act joint resolution preventing the rule from taking effect.
“Arkansas farmers, ranchers and landowners need predictability and certainty. This vote returns the decision-making authority to citizens and reins in the authority of unelected Washington bureaucrats. I urge the president to support rural America and sign this bill,” Boozman said.
Boozman cosponsored the joint resolution of disapproval led by Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV). If a CRA joint resolution of disapproval is approved by a simple majority in both chambers of Congress and signed by the president–or if Congress successfully overrides a presidential veto–the rule is invalidated. The House of Representatives passed the resolution earlier this month.
Boozman has been a long-time advocate for a commonsense rule to protect water without eroding the rights of landowners. In 2015, he voted to prevent implementation of the Obama administration’s WOTUS rule. In 2021, Boozman helped introduce legislation to protect Arkansas famers, small businesses and property owners by codifying the 2020 NWPR. Last year, he joined Senate Republicans in urging the EPA and USACE to halt rulemaking until the U.S. Supreme Court completes its consideration of Sackett v. EPA, a case expected to have major implications on the Clean Water Act’s scope and enforcement.