For too long, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has strayed from its intended purpose and instead has become a red tape factory with little to no accountability.  Thankfully, the Trump administration is working to reverse this harmful trend.   
Farmers and ranchers have been hit especially hard by the endless onslaught of EPA regulations, even though they are careful stewards of our land and water.  Their livelihood depends on responsible usage of these resources, and the Nebraskans I talk with take this responsibility seriously.  We all want clean air and clean water, which can and should be combined with the goals of economic growth and competitiveness.
One of the clearest examples of the agency’s new direction under the Trump administration is the proposal released by the EPA and Army Corps of Engineers to repeal the Obama administration’s Waters of the U.S. rule, or WOTUS.  This rule was one of the most flagrant abuses of regulatory power in modern history and threatened the future of agriculture.  It would have given the EPA sweeping jurisdiction to regulate everything from ditches to prairie potholes, even on private land.
When the Obama administration finalized WOTUS in 2015, I introduced the House resolution to block the rule using the Congressional Review Act, or CRA.  The Senate version of my resolution passed both chambers of Congress but was unsurprisingly vetoed by President Obama.

Now, the Trump administration’s proposal to repeal this rule is a welcome step toward certainty and relief for producers, landowners, and local communities.  The formal proposal was released on July 27, and the public has until August 28, 2017, to submit comments to the agency at Regulations.gov.
The “Clean Power Plan,” another dangerous Obama administration regulation, threatened to force hundreds of coal-fired power plants to shut their doors, killing jobs and increasing the cost of energy.  Earlier this year, President Trump signed an executive order at the EPA to dismantle these federal regulations and empower states to move forward with responsible
energy development.
To this point, EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt has worked to undo more regulations in his short tenure than any other administrator in the history of the agency.  The regulations issued by the Obama administration threatened entire industries and defied the Constitution with costly legislating through the executive branch.  In April, Administrator Pruitt announced his “back-to-basics” agenda of “returning EPA to its core mission: protecting the environment by engaging with state, local, and tribal partners to create sensible regulations that enhance economic growth.”
As Administrator Pruitt reins in the red tape, I am hopeful we can see the agency refocus on important projects which have been languishing.  For example, Missouri residents have been waiting 27 years for an EPA decision on how to clean up a toxic waste site.  Administrator Pruitt has stated his commitment to resolving this and other long-awaited cleanup efforts.  
Standing against federal overreach has been a priority of mine for many years, and I appreciate the Trump administration’s commitment to this effort.  An EPA which prioritizes both protecting our resources and growing our economy is certainly a welcome change.