Gov. Brad Little is leading 24 other Republican governors in opposing the Biden administration's Waters of the U.S. (WOTUS) rule and called on President Joe Biden to delay implementation of the rule until the U.S. Supreme Court issues a ruling in Sackett v. EPA, a case involving an Idaho couple.
"Biden's overreaching WOTUS rule threatens rural communities across Idaho and America, creating uncertainty for farmers, ranchers, property owners and everyday citizens at a time when they're already hurting from record inflation," Gov. Little says. "I'm proud to lead our nation's governors in calling on President Biden to abandon this attempt to subject rural America – the backbone of our nation – to more onerous federal regulation."
Biden's Waters of the U.S. rule seeks to put puddles, ditches, watering ponds and other small water features under federal protection. It is being implemented months before the U.S. Supreme Court is expected to decide Sackett, which could significantly alter the regulatory authority of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
The Biden administration's attempt to regulate private ponds and ditches could waste state and federal resources and cause unnecessary tension for farmers and rural communities.
Signatories to the letter from the governors include: Govs. Brad Little (Idaho), Kay Ivey (Alabama), Mike Dunleavy (Arkansas), Sarah Sanders (Arizona), Ron DeSantis (Florida), Brian Kemp (Georgia), Eric Holcomb (Indiana), Kim Reynolds (Iowa), Tate Reeves (Mississippi), Mike Parson (Missouri), Greg Gianforte (Montana), Jim Pillen (Nebraska), Joe Lombardo (Nevada), Chris Sununu (New Hampshire), Doug Burgum (North Dakota), Mike DeWine (Ohio), Kevin Stitt (Oklahoma), Henry McMaster (South Carolina), Kristi Noem (South Dakota), Bill Lee (Tennessee), Greg Abbott (Texas), Spencer Cox (Utah), Glenn Youngkin (Virginia), Jim Justice (West Virginia) and Mark Gordon (Wyoming).
—Excerpted from a press release, Gov. Brad Little, Jan. 30, 2023
