A federal judge appointed by former President Donald Trump granted a preliminary injunction to block the Biden administration from imposing burdensome environmental regulations that would cause “irreparable harm” to the economies of Texas and Idaho and intrude on their sovereignty.
At issue is the “Waters of the United States” rule announced in late December by the Environmental Protection Agency. It substantially expands federal jurisdiction over water sources across the nation, including local lakes, ponds and streams.
These waters are typically under state control, but Biden’s EPA wants the federal government to regulate all of them. The WOTUS rule was to take effect on Monday.
In granting an injunction Sunday, Judge Jeffrey Brown of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas said the rule exceeds the EPA’s authority.
The judge also agreed with Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton — who sued the EPA on behalf of Texas and was joined by Idaho — that complying with the rule would cause “irreparable harm” to the states.
Brown declined to grant a nationwide injunction, noting that 25 other states have also filed lawsuits challenging the WOTUS rule.
Paxton said in a statement Monday that the injunction was a crucial step in curbing “destructive federal overreach.”
“While I continue to battle the rule in court, this preliminary injunction is a major blow to the Biden Administration’s radical environmental agenda,” the state attorney general said.
“The unlawful rule would have saddled Texans across the state with crushing new regulations, slowing our state’s economic development and limiting our job growth … This is an important victory protecting the people of Texas from destructive federal overreach.”
Paxton also touted his success in a tweet that slammed the WOTUS rule as “radical” and blasted President Joe Biden’s “leftist environmental agenda.”
“I will always fight to keep Biden’s boots off the necks of Texans!” he said Monday.
Big victory against Biden: Last night a federal court blocked the Admin’s radical “waters of the US” rule, which imposes a leftist environmental agenda on Texas, crushing new regs, and oppressive economic costs. I will always fight to keep Biden’s boots off the necks of Texans! pic.twitter.com/zp2Wv17bhC
— Attorney General Ken Paxton (@KenPaxtonTX) March 20, 2023
Idaho Attorney General Raúl Labrador also rebuked what he called “massive federal overreach” on the part of the Biden administration.
“The Biden WOTUS rules would subject Idaho citizens to massive federal overreach on their own land and hamper Idaho job creators, creating a barrier for Idaho’s farmers, ranchers, and small businesses that depend on access to their land and Idaho resources,” Labrador said in a statement Monday.
He said allowing the rule to take effect would subject Idaho landowners to excessive federal bureaucracy that would result in expensive compliance costs.
Major Win for Idaho: Attorney General Raúl Labrador Scores Early Legal Victory Against Biden Administration WOTUS (Waters of the United States) Regulatory Scheme pic.twitter.com/B7GGVEYprM
— Raúl R. Labrador (@Raul_Labrador) March 20, 2023
The issue here isn’t water. Most Americans want clean water and support measures to ensure public access to it.
But the WOTUS rule spotlights once again that Democrats constantly advocate measures that expand Big Government overreach — whether it’s compulsory mask-wearing, vaccine mandates, forced racial diversity in schools and businesses or federalization of the murders of unborn children.
Ironically, Democrats frivolously accuse Republicans of being “fascist” and “authoritarian” while simultaneously trying to usurp state sovereignty and personal autonomy.
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