In the aftermath of the poisoning of the children of Flint, Michigan, President Obama has vetoed a Republican bill that would have killed the EPA’s new clean water rules.
In his veto message, President Obama said:
I am returning herewith without my approval S.J. Res. 22, a resolution that would nullify a rule issued by the Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of the Army to clarify the jurisdictional boundaries of the Clean Water Act. The rule, which is a product of extensive public involvement and years of work, is critical to our efforts to protect the Nation’s waters and keep them clean; is responsive to calls for rulemaking from the Congress, industry, and community stakeholders; and is consistent with decisions of the United States Supreme Court.
We must protect the waters that are vital for the health of our communities and the success of our businesses, agriculture, and energy development. As I have noted before, too many of our waters have been left vulnerable. Pollution from upstream sources ends up in the rivers, lakes, reservoirs, and coastal waters near which most Americans live and on which they depend for their drinking water, recreation, and economic development. Clarifying the scope of the Clean Water Act helps to protect these resources and safeguard public health. Because this resolution seeks to block the progress represented by this rule and deny businesses and communities the regulatory certainty and clarity needed to invest in projects that rely on clean water, I cannot support it. I am therefore vetoing this resolution.
Republicans were outraged because the EPA passed a new rule that would have given the federal government regulatory authority over small bodies of water and wetlands. Access to clean and safe water could be a big issue in the 2016 election after hundreds of children were poisoned by a Republican administration in Michigan.
President Obama has been there for the people of Flint, and he is standing tall for the basic right of access to clean water. In 2016, the American people should not have to rely on their president to protect their access to water, but such is the state of the Republican Party. Clean water is a matter of public health.
By dropping the veto hammer, President Obama has once again stopped the Republican agenda dead in its tracks.
Awards and Professional Memberships
Member of the Society of Professional Journalists and The American Political Science Association
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