Yesterday, I joined Administrator Lee Zeldin and Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works, Adam Telle at the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for a major announcement: a new proposal to finally deliver a clear definition of “Waters of the United States” (WOTUS).

I made it clear that we can, and must, protect clean water without letting the federal government regulate every inch of America. States and local communities know their waters far better than any faraway federal agency ever will. This proposal reflects that. Following the Supreme Court’s Sackett decision, this proposal restores balance and puts authority back in the hands of the people. The bottom line is that protecting our water doesn’t require treating every wet patch of ground as if it’s a navigable body of water.