Arkansas Home Builders Association

On Tuesday, the Senate failed to secure the 60 votes needed to proceed to consideration of S. 1140, legislation that would have overturned the Environmental Protection Agency’s “Waters of the United States” (WOTUS) rulemaking. But it’s not all bad news. NAHB solidified the support of 58 Senators. Democratic Sens. Joe Donnelly (Ind.), Heidi Heitkamp (N.D.), Joe Manchin (W.Va.) and Claire McCaskill (Mo.), along with all 54 Republican senators, voted in support of S. 1140. The Senate then took up the Congressional Review Act (CRA) resolution disapproving the WOTUS rule, which passed by a majority vote. Passage of the CRA would force the EPA to withdraw the rule. The Federation showed a strong, united front in responding to the call to action. Members ensured that NAHB’s voice was heard on Capitol Hill. Thousands of emails, letters, phone calls and personal appeals were made to Senate offices. “Our members’ efforts were critical to our outreach,” said NAHB...

If you have a stake in home building, then you know that every day Congress makes decisions that affect the home building industry and your bottom line. When we reach out to members of Congress, we have an impact on the decisions they make. BuilderLink , NAHB’s national grassroots program, advances the housing industry by connecting members of Congress to the people who matter most – their constituents. Register now to speak up for housing and take action through CapitolConnect™, BuilderLink’s legislative activation tool .

Upcoming Webinar Provides Details on WOTUS Regulations This post was updated with information about NAHB’s comment letter on July 23. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers recently released a final rule defining “waters of the United States” (WOTUS) under the Clean Water Act. The rule contains new regulatory definitions and terms that define the scope of federal jurisdiction and Clean Water Act permitting. As a benefit to members, NAHB is hosting a free informational webinar on July 28 at 2 p.m. EST describing the new rule and how to comply with the Clean Water Act when the regulation becomes effective on Aug. 28. EPA has not yet indicated how it plans to put these new definitions in place, and that’s one reason why NAHB CEO Jerry Howard has asked EPA officials to delay the final rule by at least three months. “To avoid unnecessary unpredictability, inconsistency, increased project costs and delays and ever ...