{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://messmer.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=191", "ICYMI: Rep. Mark Messmer Joins EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin for Major Announcement on WOTUS Proposal", "2025-11-21", "2025", "2025-11", "Republican", "House", "IN", "Mark B. Messmer", "M001233", "messmer.house.gov", "messmer", "https://messmer.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx?DocumentTypeID=27", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 This week, Rep. Mark Messmer (R-IN) joined Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Lee Zeldin, and other Members of Congress, at an agency announcement clarifying what constitutes a \u2018water of the United States\u2019 under the Clean Water Act.\n\nUp until now, landowners, developers, and farmers, have been forced to operate in an environment marked by burdensome federal overreach. The EPA\u2019s proposed rule gives Americans much needed certainty.\n\nRead Rep. Messmer\u2019s full remarks at the rule unveiling here:\n\n\u201cGood morning to everyone here today and thank you Administrator Zeldin for extending the invitation to participate in today\u2019s ground-breaking announcement.\n\n\u201cThe lack of clarity around \u201cwaters of the United States\u201d has plagued American homeowners, farmers, and developers for decades.\n\n\u201cInstead of working to improve the quality of our lakes, rivers, and wetlands, this failed regulatory language has hamstrung backyards across America in regulatory confusion.\n\n\u201cUnder the WOTUS obscurity, Hoosier farmers working their lands and families renovating their homes have been served fines and court dates their actions never warranted.\n\n\u201cConservationists, producers, and residents across Indiana\u2019s 8th Congressional District are experts in managing their local resources.\n\n\u201cThese local leaders, especially in our beautiful state of Indiana, know how to protect our environment best.\n\n\u201cAnd after working for several years in the Indiana legislature on state WOTUS regulations, I know how desperately in need of reform this policy is.\n\n\u201cToday\u2019s announcement concludes an era marked by overregulation and deference to faceless bureaucrats in Washington, D.C.\n\n\u201cI applaud Administrator Zeldin and the Trump administration for their efforts to gather commentary from stakeholders across the nation, including Hoosier leaders.\n\n\u201cThis is precisely how federal regulations should be developed.\n\n\u201cBy leveraging the time-tried expertise of those impacted by \u201cWOTUS\u201d failures, EPA has reached a robust definition and a just framework that finally offers landowners the clarity they deserve.\n\n\u201cI look forward to a continued partnership with President Trump and Administrator Zeldin as we roll out policies that reflect the insight of the American people and reform regulations that have handcuffed our communities for far too long.\n\n\u201cThank you.\n\n\u201cGod bless Indiana, and God bless America.\u201d\n\nTo learn more about how Rep. Messmer is supporting our community in Indiana\u2019s 8th Congressional District, click here.\n\n###", 1, "2026-04-07T15:46:19Z", "2026-04-07T20:18:39Z"]], "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://messmer.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=191"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 0.7119199726730585, "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"}