WASHINGTON, D.C. – Recently, U.S. Senator Thom Tillis (R-NC) and his colleagues introduced a Senate resolution that expressed the need for the U.S. Senate to stand with workers, farmers, manufacturers, and businesses by upholding the Trump Administration’s Navigable Waters Protection rule, which replaced the Obama-era Waters of the United States (WOTUS) rule.

“Protecting our clean water system is a necessary regulation, however, we cannot allow these regulations to cripple one of North Carolina’s largest industries, and the Obama-era WOTUS rule creates an unnecessary burden for North Carolina farmers and businesses,” said Senator Tillis. “I encourage President Biden and my colleagues on the left to rethink the rollback of the Trump administration’s order on WOTUS before they do irreversible damage to the agriculture industry.”

Background:

In 2015, the Obama administration finalized a rule that expanded the definition of the Waters of the United States, creating confusion and burdensome red tape for the agriculture industry and many others.

The Trump administration proposed a new rule to replace the Obama administration’s 2015 WOTUS rule that provided much-needed predictability and certainty for farmers by establishing clear and reasonable definitions of what qualifies as a “water of the United States.” The new Navigable Waters Protection Rule was finalized last year.

This week, President Biden signed an executive order that would roll back the Trump administration’s executive order which originally began the process of rescinding Obama’s WOTUS rule.

Read the full resolution here.

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