GLIN==> Congressman John Dingell's Statement on Rapanos Decision

["Alex J. Sagady & Associates" <ajs@sagady.com>]

News From Congressman John D.
Dingell 
Serving Michigan's
15th Congressional
District
http://www.house.gov/dingell/ 
Monday, June 19, 2006
Contact: Adam Benson,
202.225.4071 (office) / 202.271.8587 (cell)
 
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Dingell Statement on Supreme Court's Decision Regarding Clean Water Act

Washington, DC - Congressman John D. Dingell
(D-MI15) made the following statement after the US Supreme Court's 5-4
decision in Rapanos v. US and Carabell v. US remanding the
Clean Water case back to the lower courts. Congressman Dingell was one of
the architects of the 1972 Clean Water Act and managed the time on the
House floor when the bill was debated. He is also one of nine current or
former Members of Congress who filed an amicus brief to support the
Environmental Protection Agency's case to protect the Clean Water
Act:
 
"I am frustrated and angry because of the Supreme Court's
decision.  I called their work on Solid Waste Agency of Northern
Cook County v. US
Army Corps of Engineers (SWANCC) slovenly because it ignored the will
of Congress and the clear legislative history - which clearly intended
for all waters of the US to be covered by the Clean Water Act. 
Today the Court has gone one step further and shown its disdain for
Congress, the body elected by the American people to represent their
interests.  By remanding the case back to lower courts, the Court
continues to bungle the clear intent of Congress.
 
"While 5 members of the Court rejected the most extreme mangling of
the Act proposed by Justice Scalia and others that would eliminate all
Clean Water Act protections for more than 50 percent of the nation's
wetlands and streams, the fact that there was no clear majority upholding
current Clean Water Act authorities as they now exist poses a threat to
waters across the country. 
 
"My colleagues and I will continue working on this issue from the
legislative end.  HR 1356, which I introduced with my colleague
Representative Jim Oberstar (D-MN), currently has 158 cosponsors and
would make clear that Congress intended for all waters of the United
States to be covered."

www.house.gov/dingell

Adam R.
Benson
Press Secretary for Congressman John D. Dingell
202.225.0881
(desk)
202.271.8587
(cell)

 

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