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Foxx Report
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This week President Obama delivered his last State of the Union address to Congress. For the past seven years, President Obama has given us 47,625 words of meaningless rhetoric. This year was no different.
The president has never adequately focused on what really matters in this country - keeping America safe and defending our cherished freedoms. Instead he wants to maintain the status quo and continues to promote top-down, one-size-fits-all federal dictates that stymie economic growth. It’s clear he doesn’t understand the solutions that will get our nation back on track begin with the American people, not Washington bureaucrats.
President Obama promised hope and change, but his failed agenda has brought the wrong kind of change and many North Carolinians are losing hope. Fortunately, Republicans are committed to restoring confidence in America and empowering her people to make their own decisions and pursue their own dreams.
“Waters of the United States” Rule
In 2014, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers issued a rule that would significantly broaden the federal government’s power to regulate waters and adjacent lands under the Clean Water Act. The “Waters of the United States” rule would give the federal government jurisdiction over puddles, roadside ditches, irrigation ditches and storm and wastewater systems.
On Wednesday I voted in favor of a disapproval resolution seeking to stop the Obama administration from implementing this flawed rule, which would negatively impact North Carolina farmers and landowners. The Congressional Review Act of 1996 established a process through which Congress can overturn regulations issued by federal agencies by enacting a joint resolution of disapproval.
Federal agencies frequently place burdensome regulations on the American public, and the “Waters of the United States” rule is no exception. This resolution would prevent an out-of-touch administration from threatening the livelihood of North Carolina’s farmers and saddling local governments with exorbitant compliance costs.
STREAM Act
The Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement (OSMRE) has proposed a new stream buffer zone regulation that will negatively impact coal mining operations and could cost up to 70,000 jobs. Additionally the rulemaking process lacked transparency of scientific records and studies and sought to enforce regulations beyond its jurisdiction.
This week the House passed legislation to increase transparency of the rulemaking process for new environmental regulations regarding the stream buffer zone rule. H.R. 1644, the Supporting Transparent Regulatory and Environmental Actions in Mining Act, would require the publication of all scientific studies used in the OSMRE rulemaking process and would prohibit a new stream buffer rule while a study is conducted by the National Academy of Sciences to examine the current stream buffer zone rule.
North Korea Sanctions Enforcement Act
On Tuesday the House overwhelmingly passed bipartisan legislation to strengthen U.S. sanctions against North Korea. H.R. 757, the North Korea Sanctions Enforcement Act of 2016, targets North Korea’s access to the currency and goods that help keep its totalitarian regime in power. It would authorize sanctions on foreign financial institutions and governments that assist North Korea in evading the restrictions imposed upon it by U.N. Security Council rules.
What’s Coming Up
Next week the House will hold a district work week. I look forward to traveling around North Carolina’s 5th District and hearing from you.
Sincerely,
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