Senate Democrats again successfully protected the Obama administration's embattled Clean Water Act rule, defeating a GOP attempt to stop the measure the measure from being implemented should it survive court challenges.

 

A 56-42 vote on an amendment to block the “waters of the United States” (WOTUS) rule was short of the 60 needed for adoption to a fiscal 2017 funding bill for the Army Corps of Engineers.

 

Four Democrats voted for the amendment, Joe Donnelly of Indiana, Heidi Heitkamp of North Dakota, Claire McCaskill of Missouri and Joe Manchin of West Virginia. One Republican, Susan Collins of Maine, voted against the amendment, sponsored by North Dakota Sen. John Hoeven.

 

The White House had threatened to veto the entire Energy-Water spending bill if the anti-WOTUS amendment were approved.

 

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