WASHINGTON, D.C.— Today, on the 51st anniversary of the original Clean Water Act, House Democrats introduced the Clean Water Act of 2023 in order to undo the damage done by the Supreme Court’s terrible decision in Sackett v. EPA. In response to the introduction of this bill, League of Conservation Voters (LCV) released the following statement from Deputy Legislative Director Madeleine Foote: 

“For over 50 years, the Clean Water Act helped clean up and protect our waters, but last spring, the U.S. Supreme Court upended these protections in their decision in Sackett v. EPA by ruling in favor of polluters’ interests over the health and safety of our families and communities.

“We greatly appreciate Representatives Rick Larsen, Grace Napolitano, Don Beyer, and Melanie Stansbury for leading the charge, and the additional 114 House Democrats who joined them to introduce the Clean Water Act of 2023. This important legislation would fix the damage done by the Sackett decision and restore federal safeguards to the waters that are critical to our health and the health of our environment. Clean water is a basic human right, and we urge Congress to swiftly pass the Clean Water Act of 2023 to protect our wetlands and streams and ensure that everyone, no matter their zip code, has access to the clean water they need to thrive.”

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In last spring’s decision in Sackett v. EPA, the Supreme Court disregarded science and the law in order to prioritize polluter profits over the health and safety of our families and communities by gutting protections for waters we rely on for drinking, recreation, and fueling local economies. This decision will increase flooding and lead to more pollution, jeopardizing the health of our communities, especially the health of communities of color and low-wealth communities who are disproportionately impacted by water pollution.

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