Biden Admin’s Agenda Dealt Major Blow by Federal Judge: ‘Destructive Federal Overreach’

A federal judge appointed by former President Donald Trump granted a preliminary injunction to block the Biden administration from imposing burdensome environmental regulations that would cause “irreparable harm” to the economies of Texas and Idaho and intrude on their sovereignty.

At issue is the “Waters of the United States” rule announced in late December by the Environmental Protection Agency. It substantially expands federal jurisdiction over water sources across the nation, including local lakes, ponds and streams.

These waters are typically under state control, but Biden’s EPA wants the federal government to regulate all of them. The WOTUS rule was to take effect on Monday.

In granting an injunction Sunday, Judge Jeffrey Brown of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas said the rule exceeds the EPA’s authority.

The judge also agreed with Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton — who sued the EPA on behalf of Texas and was joined by Idaho — that complying with the rule would cause “irreparable harm” to the states.

Brown declined to grant a nationwide injunction, noting that 25 other states have also filed lawsuits challenging the WOTUS rule.

Paxton said in a statement Monday that the injunction was a crucial step in curbing “destructive federal overreach.”

“While I continue to battle the rule in court, this preliminary injunction is a major blow to the Biden Administration’s radical environmental agenda,” the state attorney general said.

“The unlawful rule would have saddled Texans across the state with crushing new regulations, slowing our state’s economic development and limiting our job growth … This is an important victory protecting the people of Texas from destructive federal overreach.”