Senate Democrats block bill to overturn EPA water rule

Senate Democrats block bill to overturn EPA water rule

By Kevin Rogers

A bill from Sen. John Barrasso, R-Wyo., that would overturn the Environmental Protection Agency’s attempt to clarify the scope of Clean Water Act won’t move forward in the Senate, after Democrats blocked cloture on the measure.

Barrasso’s bill would have sent the Clean Water Rule back to EPA and the Army Corps of Engineers for a rewrite with specific instructions. It won support from four Democrats, but the 57-41 tally meant the measure was unable to clear the 60-vote threshold required to proceed to debate and amendments on the bill.

The White House Office of Management and Budget earlier in the day threatened to veto the legislation, saying it would create “more confusion, uncertainty, and inconsistency” for those attempting to comply with the Clean Water Act.

Ahead of the vote, Senate Minority Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev., accused Republicans of engaging in an ideological “show vote” that had no chance to break a Democratic block or evade a White House veto.

“The Republican Leader and his colleagues are forcing the Senate to vote on legislation to roll back President Obama’s Clean Water Rule,” he said on the Senate floor. “This legislation will fail, of course. And Republicans know it will fail.”

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