WOTUS Debate Continues Until Anticipated Supreme Court Clarity

Republicans have called for a pause on the Waters of the U.S. (WOTUS) ruling, awaiting clarity from the Supreme Court as a U.S. House panel renewed the decades-long fight this week. The debate around WOTUS has been in flux since its inception, mainly due to changing White House administrations.

Republicans continue to feel the approach unfairly restricts farmers from improving their own property, while Democrats say clean-water efforts are critical for healthy communities. The Supreme Court is expected to rule on a case in Idaho that challenged the Biden administration’s WOTUS definition. Witnesses shared at the panel on Wednesday a broad disagreement over the definitions.

Farmers remain at the center of the debate, with ag groups advocating for more workable solutions and voluntary measures.

Read more on ongoing WOTUS discussions here.