"Nebraskans are committed to seeing this fight through."

U.S. Senator Ben Sasse, a member of the Senate Agriculture Committee, issued the following statement today, after President Obama’s veto of legislation to repeal the EPA’s controversial Waters of the United States (WOTUS) rule last night:

"This is far from over— WOTUS still faces a battle in the courts. The President’s disappointing veto sides with overreaching EPA bureaucrats instead of Nebraska’s farmers and ranchers— those who know and care most about agriculture and conservation policy. Nebraskans are committed to seeing this fight through."

Background:

In December, a report from the Government Accountability Office determined that the EPA broke federal law by engaging in "covert propaganda" to support WOTUS rule. That report is available here.

Last spring, the EPA and Army Corps of Engineers released the final WOTUS rule under the Clean Water Act. The rule would dramatically expand federal authority and with it EPA’s power to levy fines and require additional permits and reporting.

In October, the U.S. Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals issued a nationwide stay on the implementation of WOTUS, noting that the rule has created a "whirlwind of confusion."