CALIFORNIA — U.S. Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Chair of the Senate Environment and Public Works Subcommittee on Fisheries, Water, and Wildlife, released the following statement after the Supreme Court’s decision to curb the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) ability to address water pollution:

“Today’s Supreme Court ruling substantially erodes the EPA’s ability to address water pollution in the United States, including through the protection of the nation’s remaining wetlands. Unfortunately, this follows a recent pattern of reckless decisions from the Court that fail to protect our air, water, and lands. Clean water must be our collective priority—which was Congress’ original intent of the Clean Water Act, for the EPA to protect our waterways.

“The EPA has had jurisdiction to regulate tributaries and connected wetlands for nearly 40 years. The majority’s opinion undoes a long history of federal protection and puts our waters at risk.”

In June 2022, Padilla joined a group of more than 160 current and former Members of Congress in filing an amicus brief to the U.S. Supreme Court in support of the Clean Water Act in the case of Sackett v. EPA.

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