Rep. Mann Applauds WOTUS Announcement

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Representative Tracey Mann (KS-01) applauded U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Lee Zeldin’s announcement on the Trump Administration’s decision to revise and define the “waters of the United States” (WOTUS) in a clear, simplified direction. Rep. Mann released a statement after the announcement.

“Nearly two years ago, the Supreme Court made it clear that President Biden’s EPA abused the Clean Water Act to enact regulatory chaos with their definition of WOTUS,” said Rep. Mann. “America’s farmers, ranchers, and agricultural producers are the original conservationists of the land, and they need a simple, consistent definition of water that gives them certainty as they feed, fuel, and clothe the world. Today’s announcement is a win for Kansas farmers, rural communities, and private landowners. I applaud President Trump and Administrator Zeldin for their relentless efforts to remove handcuffs and protect and defend America’s landowners. When government shrinks, freedom expands.”

Rep. Mann has consistently fought against the abuse of the WOTUS rule. In December 2022, Rep. Mann blasted the Biden Administration’s definition of WOTUS that expanded water to include ponds and streams. In January 2023, Rep. Mann led efforts to pressure the Biden Administration to rescind their premature WOTUS rule ahead of the Supreme Court’s decision in Sackett v. EPA. In March 2023, Rep. Mann voted to advance a Congressional Review Act to overturn the Biden Administration’s rule. After President Biden vetoed the bill, Rep. Mann voted to override that veto and defend America’s farmers, ranchers, and agricultural producers.

Following the Supreme Court’s May 2023 ruling in Sackett v. EPA, Rep. Mann applauded the Court’s unanimous decision to restrict EPA’s overreach. In August 2023, Rep. Mann fired back at the Biden Administration’s revised WOTUS rule that removed the “significant nexus” standard for determining whether wetlands or waters are covered by the Clean Water Act. Rep. Mann also introduced legislation to establish an advisory committee at the U.S. Department of Agriculture to examine the impact of the WOTUS rule and overreaching regulations on agriculture production and the food supply chain.

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For more information on Rep. Mann visit www.mann.house.gov