Hawley Statement on Supreme Court Striking Down Biden’s Illegal WOTUS Rule

Thursday, May 25, 2023

Today U.S. Senator Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) released the following statement on the Supreme Court’s unanimous 9-0 decision in the case of Sackett v. EPA, which effectively struck down President Biden’s illegal Waters of the United States (WOTUS) Rule.

Background

In January, Senator Hawley led the Missouri Republican delegation in sending a letter to Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Michael Regan and Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works Michael Connor, calling on the administration to immediately rescind its controversial WOTUS Rule.

In April 2022, Senator Hawley signed the amicus brief supporting the petitioner Michael Sackett in his case, Sackett v. EPA, against the EPA.

In February 2022, Senator Hawley introduced the American Energy Independence Act of 2022, which would have codified the Trump Administration’s interpretation of WOTUS and nullified President Biden’s proposed replacement rule.

In February 2022, Senator Hawley signed a letter requesting that the EPA and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers suspend the rule-making to redefine the scope of waters protected under the Clean Water Act, specifically WOTUS, until the U.S. Supreme Court completed its consideration of Sackett v. EPA.

In September 2019, Senator Hawley supported the EPA’s decision to repeal the overreaching, Obama-era WOTUS rule.

Issues