{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://biggs.house.gov/media/press-releases/congressman-andy-biggs-opening-statement-subcommittee-hearing-future-wotus", "Congressman Andy Biggs Opening Statement at Subcommittee Hearing on the Future of WOTUS", "2017-11-29", "2017", "2017-11", "Republican", "House", "AZ", "Andy Biggs", "B001302", "biggs.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON, D.C.\u00a0- \u00a0Congressman Andy Biggs (AZ-05), chairman of the U.S. House Science, Space, and Technology Committee\u2019s Subcommittee on Environment, delivered the following opening statement at this morning's subcommittee\u00a0hearing,\u00a0\"The Future of WOTUS: Examining the Role of States\":\nWelcome to today\u2019s hearing, \u201cThe Future of WOTUS: Examining the Role of States.\u201d \u00a0I want to thank our expert panel of witnesses for being here today and agreeing to testify about this important topic.\nThe Waters of the United States rule, or WOTUS, issued by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in 2015, amounted to one of the biggest federal overreaches in modern history. \u00a0Not only did the rule\u2019s flimsy definitions and underlying science mean that the agency had the ability to regulate private land, but it also placed significant financial burdens on some of our country\u2019s hardest workers. \nI am very pleased to have representatives here today from my home state of Arizona to discuss how this rule would affect them and what changes they believe would make water regulations better for this country.\nWe all want to be good stewards of the environment. \u00a0We also want to be good stewards for the people we are here in Washington to represent. \u00a0When a federal agency overlooks the needs of American citizens, we in Congress have a duty to ask questions and address the concerns of our constituents.\nFor example, when WOTUS was proposed there was a large outcry from stakeholders across the nation that the rule\u2019s vague definitions regarding navigable water could include sometimes-dry drainage ditches on private farmland. \u00a0It is absurd to consider a dry ditch \u201cnavigable.\u201d \u00a0Our nation depends on the hard work of farmers and ranchers: these men and women simply don\u2019t have the time to deal with bureaucratic nonsense. \u00a0Of course, it\u2019s not just them who suffer: costly and unnecessary government mandates have drastic economic impacts on each and every one of us. \nThe shortcomings of WOTUS are so self-evident that it is not surprising this onerous rule has been challenged across the country. And now we can point to a very encouraging action from the new administration: President Trump recently issued an executive order directing EPA and the Army Corps of Engineers to review the WOTUS rule. \u00a0\nI applaud the Administration for heeding the calls of Americans. \u00a0A revision to the 2015 rule is desperately needed to provide greater clarity to states and stakeholders. \u00a0Instead of rushing forward with burdensome federal regulations, the government needs to do its due diligence and propose a rule that is helpful, not harmful.\nToday we will hear ideas about how some of those fixes to the regulation should look.\u00a0 Witnesses will inform Congress how federal water regulations affect them and what they need from the government to continue operating effectively.\nI look forward to a knowledgeable and substantive discussion.\u00a0 With that I yield back and recognize the Ranking Member, Mrs. Bonamici, of Oregon, for her opening statement.\u00a0\nClick here\u00a0to learn more about today\u2019s subcommittee hearing.\n###\nCongressman Andy Biggs is a first-term Representative from Arizona\u2019s Fifth Congressional District, representing parts of Chandler, Gilbert, Mesa,\u00a0and Queen Creek. Congressman Biggs is a member of the House Judiciary and Science, Space, and Technology committees, and is the chairman of the Environment Subcommittee. He lives with his wife, Cindy, in Gilbert.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://biggs.house.gov/media/press-releases/congressman-andy-biggs-opening-statement-subcommittee-hearing-future-wotus"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 0.7057860493659973, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}