If it has not yet become clear that the current Democrat-led federal government wants complete control of our lives and property, it’s time to wake up. While we are being distracted by the health care brouhaha, another Washington, Democrat-led assault on our freedoms is under way. On a Democratic party-line vote on June 18, the Senate Environment and Public Works (EPW) Committee passed S. 787, titled the Clean Water Restoration Act, out of committee.

The EPW Committee voted to overturn the Rapanos and SWANCC Supreme Court decisions of 2006 and 2001 that required the Corps of Engineers and EPA to only regulate “navigable” waters. S.787 gives virtually unlimited authority to the EPA and Corps of Engineers over ALL surface water, including seasonal streams and the private and federal lands surrounding them. Because their jurisdiction will no longer be limited to navigable waters, it goes from a tiny fraction of the land mass to virtually 100 percent of the nation. If this bill becomes law, it will be the largest federal land grab in our history.

Because ALL land is a part of a watershed, YOUR property-use rights will be determined by the government if this bill becomes law. This means that the government will usurp your land-use rights, reduce land value, destroy jobs, drive up food and construction costs, and erode our standard of living. This bill reduces states’ rights and local authority, and is especially deleterious to rural America. It adversely affects timberlands, ranchers, farmers, highways, airports, construction, recreation, fishing and more. You can get the details on S. 787 at the URL below. http://www.landrights.org/S%20787Voted%20OutOfEPWCommitteeJune%2018.pdf

This bill is a major step in bringing our nation to a socialist state and erodes our constitutional rights. It pushes the limits of federal power to an extreme beyond any other legislation in our history, and it was passed without holding any hearings. This bill will likely come before the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee in September. Committee Chairman James Oberstar, D-Minn., is squarely behind this land grab. You can read his full report at http://www.landrights.org/Oberstar_CWA_WhitePaper.pdf

Or you can read the summary at http://www.landrights.org/Oberstar_CWA_WhitePaper_ExSummary.pdf

We must all become involved NOW to defeat it. There are several things we can do.

You can call any congressman at 202-225-3121. You can call any senator at 202-224-3121. Tell them that you oppose this legislation.

Ask them how they could vote on a bill without holding public hearings. Ask them to hold public hearings. They can do that.

You must deluge both your senators with calls, letters, e-mails and faxes.

Call your friends in other states and have them call their senators to oppose S. 787.

Call your congressman and both senators to ask for their schedule during August and September. You want to attend any public meetings, town halls or gatherings where they are going to speak.

Write a letter opposing the Senate version of the Clean Water Restoration Act (S. 787) referencing the Senate Committee vote on June 18 and send it to the Honorable James Inhofe, Ranking Member, Environment and Public Works Committee, US Senate, Washington, DC 20210. You can fax it to 202-224-5167.

— Sam Brice, St. Matthews

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