Washington, DC – Congresswoman Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA), a member of the House Natural Resources Committee, came out in strong opposition to a new piece of legislation, The America’s Commitment to Clean Water Act, which was introduced today by Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chairman James Oberstar (D-MN).  Chairman Oberstar’s bill would dramatically increase the scope of the Clean Water Act by removing the word “navigable” from the current definition of the Clean Water Act.  This would effectively allow all waters to be subject to new and sweeping federal regulations and permitting.

“The America’s Commitment to Clean Water Act is a misnomer,” said Congresswoman McMorris Rodgers.  “The bill does nothing to make our water cleaner.  Instead, the ACCWA inserts the federal government into water and land issues — federalizing what have traditionally been state and local concerns.  Bureaucrats in Washington, D.C. should not have regulatory power over puddles, intermittent streams, and other water sources that have absolutely no connection to interstate commerce.  The Constitution is clear on which responsibilities belong to Congress and which belong to the states.  The ACCWA is an unconstitutional expansion of federal power at a time when the federal government needs to start scaling back.”