Laigle’s Forum

Action Alert–Urgent
 
H.R. 2421 Called the Biggest Federal Power Grab Ever
 

What many are calling the biggest federal land and water power grab in history could be approved by the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee before the end of May!  No other committee has jurisdiction of the bill, so it could go straight to the House floor for passage!
 
The chief author of the bill is Minnesota Congressman James Oberstar, who has ignored the vocal opposition of his constituents.  Even most elected officials in his district are opposed to the bill.  In fact, the Association of Minnesota Counties recently joined the National Association of Counties in strongly opposing the legislation.  A poll in his district shows 78% are opposed to the expansion of federal control over Minnesota’s waters.  And the bill goes even further than that!
 
H.R. 2421 (misnamed the Clean Water Restoration Act) would give unlimited federal control over all waters, including wetlands, intermittent streams, ponds, meadows and sloughs, areas never before regulated by the federal government.  And get this:  New language would even give the federal government control over ‘activities affecting these waters,’ which according to a 62-page committee staff report, would include just about any significant human activity.  So it’s not just a national water control bill.  It’s also a national land use control bill! 
 
And the bill, if passed, would overturn two recent U.S. Supreme Court decisions that favored local government and local citizens by ruling that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers had exceeded its authority under the 1972 federal Clean Water Act.
 
Congressman Oberstar needs to hear from his constituents on this issue!  No later than Wednesday, May 14th, call or fax Rep. James Oberstar, Chairman, House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee at (202) 225-6211 (ph) or (202) 225-0699 (fax), and/or send an e-mail in care of his staff, john.schadl@mail.house.gov   Or call one of his local offices listed below.  Let Oberstar know that you do not want expanded federal control over your land, your water, or your lives.  Let him know that there are proven, local alternatives on environmental issues: common-sense solutions that are better and cheaper–solutions that won’t violate your rights, threaten your job and way of life, or take away your freedoms. 
 
Don’t be fooled–this bill is not about clean water.  It’s about federal control over land, water, people and communities.  As Reed Hopper, lead attorney in a successful U.S. Supreme Court case stated in testimony, “…..this bill pushes the limits of federal power to an extreme not matched by any other law, probably in the history of this country.”
 
Please forward this message to others and take time to follow up with phone calls.  And if you have time, also call your state legislators and encourage them to oppose the bill. 
 
If you have any questions, contact the American Property Coalition at (651) 224-6219.

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