U.S. Rep. Blaine Luetkemeyer (MO-03) issued the following statement after the House of Representatives passed H.R. 1732, the Regulatory Integrity Protection Act:

“I’ve been a staunch opponent of the EPA’s Waters of the United States (WOTUS) proposal so I was proud to co-sponsor and vote for legislation that passed the House today, which would stop this harmful rule from going forward.  The bill passed by the House today would require the EPA to withdraw its WOTUS rule within 30 days and would require agencies to develop a new proposed rule to define the term “waters of the United States” with input from key stakeholders across the country.  The poorly crafted WOTUS proposal from the EPA would be detrimental to our nation’s farmers, ranchers, and small business owners and I am pleased the House of Representatives brought this important legislation to the floor so we can reverse the EPA’s wrongdoings. It is my hope that my colleagues in the Senate will bring this legislation to the floor quickly, so that we can send it to the president’s desk as soon as possible.”