{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.isakson.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/news-releases?ContentRecord_id=df25adbc-ffc7-467c-9db3-9d388e760137", "Isakson Challenges Administration's Attempt to Take Over Thousands of Creeks, Streams, Ponds", "2014-10-24", "2014", "2014-10", "Republican", "House", "GA", "Johnny Isakson", "I000055", "www.isakson.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON \u2013 U.S. Senator Johnny Isakson, R-Ga., on Thursday joined a group of 24 senators to challenge the Obama administration's misleading claims regarding the proposed \"waters of the United States\" rule, which would allow the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to regulate nearly all private and state water in the United States\r\nDespite the administration's claims to the contrary, if finalized, the rule would represent a massive land grab by the federal government. Few water bodies would escape the agencies' broad definition of \"waters of the United States.\" The proposal effectively eliminates the Clean Water Act's\u00a0\"navigable waters\" provision, which was included by Congress to guarantee limits to federal authority.\r\nIn a letter to EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy and Secretary of the Army John M. McHugh, the senators wrote, \"Undoubtedly there is a disconnect between regulatory reality and the administration's utopian view of the proposed 'Waters of the United States' rule. We believe this reflects the EPA's and the Corps [of Engineers'] refusal to listen to the thousands of Americans who have asked that the proposed rule be immediately withdrawn.\"\r\n\"The proposed 'waters of the United States' rule could allow federal bureaucrats to assert control over thousands of streams, creeks, wetlands, ponds and ditches throughout the country,\"\u00a0said Isakson. \"This latest overreach by the Executive Branch would provide the administration, as well as environmental groups, with a powerful tool to delay and prevent development and land use activities on property owned by homeowners, farms, small businesses, and municipalities. This proposal will harm not only landowners, but our entire agriculture industry in Georgia.\"\r\nThe letter is the latest challenge Isakson has made to this proposed rule. In June, Isakson signed on as an original co-sponsor of S.2496, the Protecting Water and Property Rights Act of 2014, that would repeal this rule.\r\nIn addition to Isakson, the letter was signed by Sens. John Barrasso, R-Wyo., Ted Cruz, R-Texas, Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., David Vitter, R-La., Pat Roberts, R-Kan., Mike Enzi, R-Wyo., John Cornyn, R-Texas, Jim Risch, R-Idaho, Marco Rubio, R-Fla., Mike Crapo, R-Idaho, Roger Wicker, R-Miss., Jim Inhofe, R-Okla., Jeff Sessions, R-Ala., Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, Roy Blunt, R-Mo., John Boozman, R-Ark., Mike Johanns, R-Neb., Tim Scott, R-S.C., Deb Fischer, R-Neb., Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, Jerry Moran, R-Kan., Rand Paul, R-Ky., and Mike Lee, R-Utah.\r\nThe full text of the letter is available here: http://go.usa.gov/GE93\r\nBackground\r\nOn March 25, 2014, EPA and the Corps released their proposed rule redefining \"waters of the United States\" under the Clean Water Act. The term \"waters of the United States\"is the Clean Water Act's threshold provision that determines whether the law\u2019s permitting and regulatory requirements apply to a particular body of water.\r\nThe proposed rule would provide EPA and the Corps, as well as environmental groups, with a powerful tool to delay and prevent development and land use activities on property owned by homeowners, farms, small businesses, and municipalities. Federal bureaucrats\u2014and not state and local authorities\u2014could assert control over thousands of streams, creeks, wetlands, ponds, and ditches throughout the country.\r\n###", 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://www.isakson.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/news-releases?ContentRecord_id=df25adbc-ffc7-467c-9db3-9d388e760137"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.609541941434145, "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"}