Mar. 15: On March 15, Rep. Ken Calvert (R-CA) who Chairs the House Interior, Environment and Related Agencies Appropriations Subcommittee said he did not see the need for a rider on the Waters of the United States (WOTUS) rule to be included in the emerging omnibus bill.
Last week, it was rumored to be on the list of over 100 riders attached to the omnibus bill. This rider contained legislative language that would have exempted the repeal of the WOTUS rule from legal requirements. EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt is looking to formally withdraw the Obama-era WOTUS regulation in April, but states have already sued over a delay in implementation of the 2015 rule and a formal repeal is likely to cause more uproar.
However, on Thursday, Rep. Calvert stated that he did not see the need for the rider to be included and that he felt “EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt is handling that,” though he did note that the fate of riders rested with Congressional leadership. (PoliticoPRO, 3/15/18)
The current continuing resolution, the fifth of this fiscal year, runs through March 23.
