U.S. Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.) today applauded the passage of legislation that included his proposal to block the Obama Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) from regulating fishing tackle under the Toxic Substances Control Act, leaving such regulation to state agencies. Late last year, a short-term fix was approved by Congress and signed into law by the president, but enactment of Thune’s provision would provide for a permanent solution.
“The Obama EPA’s regulatory arm, which Republicans in Congress are fighting hard to rein in, already reaches too far into the American people’s lives,” said Thune. “We don’t need Washington bureaucrats regulating puddles in our backyards, and we don’t need them telling us what we can and can’t use to hunt and fish in South Dakota either. It’s welcome news that this legislation is one step closer to passing the full Senate.”
Thune has been a longtime advocate of this regulatory change because of the significant economic impact it would have on outdoor recreation. A provision blocking the EPA from banning lead ammunition has already been enacted during the 114th Congress.
The underlying Bipartisan Sportsmen’s Act of 2015 cleared the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works with bipartisan support and now heads to the full Senate for consideration.