Issue: H.R. 2018 Clean Water Cooperative Federalism Act of 2011. 

Result: Passed in House 239 to 184, 8 not voting. Died in Senate.

Bill Summary:  H.R. 2018 would amend the Federal Water Pollution Control Act to restore some State authority for making determinations relating to the State’s water quality standards.

Analysis: This measure was a halfway attempt to limit the unconstitutional EPA’s most egregious abuse of authority in determining state water quality standards.

The bill was supported by all but 13 Republicans as well as by 16 Democrats. Many of the Democrats supporting the measure were from Appalachia, where the coal industry had been pushing hard to return more regulatory power to the states.

Although H.R. 2018 was a laudable bill, the roll call was largely a GOP posturing vote as there was insufficient support in the Senate to advance the legislation and not enough support in the House to override President Obama’s threatened veto. Accordingly, we score only the votes of the House Democrats.

We have assigned (good vote) to the Yeas and (bad vote) to the Nays. (P = voted present; ? = not voting; blank = not listed on roll call.)