Press Releases

LCV Launches Digital Ad Campaign Criticizing Reps. David Valadao and Jim Costa for Vote to Block Clean Water Protections

Jan 28, 2016

View the David Valadao ad (CA-21) here.
View the Jim Costa ad (CA-16) here.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, the League of Conservation Voters (LCV) launched a Facebook ad campaign holding Reps. David Valadao and Jim Costa accountable for voting in favor of the Congressional Review Act “Resolution of Disapproval” to permanently block the EPA and Army Corps’ Clean Water Rule, S.J. Res. 22. The ads are part of a larger $20,000 Facebook campaign targeted to their districts and will run for about one week.

“Reps. David Valadao and Jim Costa did the bidding of big polluters, and put their profits ahead of the health of California’s families,” said Gene Karpinski, president of the League of Conservation Voters. “They voted for a radical assault on the clean water protections of one in three Americans.”

“This bill was an extreme attempt to permanently block these overwhelmingly popular pollution protections for the clean water our children and grandchildren drink, swim, and play in,” he continued. “Rather than opposing these critical safeguards, Reps. Valadao and Costa would serve their constituents far better by focusing on the issues that are leading to the water crises like we have seen in Flint, Michigan and Toledo, Ohio.”

On May 27, 2015, the EPA and the Army Corps released the final Clean Water Rule, which would restore pollution protections to the small streams and wetlands that feed into the drinking water of one in three Americans. These critical safeguards protect the clean water our children and grandchildren drink, swim and play in. On November 4, 2015, the Senate voted on and passed S.J. Res. 22, a radical and obscure Congressional Review Act “Resolution of Disapproval” to stop the Clean Water Rule and permanently prevent the agencies from ever issuing similar protections in the future. On January 13, 2016, the House also voted on and passed S.J. Res 22.

On January 19, 2016, President Obama vetoed this egregious assault on clean water protections. On January 21, 2016, the Senate failed to override the president’s veto.

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