Environment and Public Lands

Clean Water Act coverage of wetlands and streams

10 public statements from 2026 candidates · 2 related bills

§1The range of views

Why this matters: Coverage affects drinking water, flooding and wildlife, and it decides whether farmers, builders and other landowners need a federal permit to build on or fill in wet areas.

Drafted by AI, then checked for neutral wording in a separate AI review. It describes the question and the main positions, not any candidate's view. Facts link to their sources.

Which wetlands, streams and other waters are covered by the Clean Water Act, the main federal law against water pollution; a 2023 Supreme Court ruling narrowed that coverage, and in 2025 the EPA and the Army Corps of Engineers proposed a rule that would narrow it further.1,2

  1. Cover fewer waters, such as streams and wetlands that have water for only part of the wet season
  2. Keep coverage where the 2023 ruling left it
  3. Pass a law to cover more wetlands and streams again, including some that flow only after rain or snowmelt

These options describe policies, not people. The order is not a ranking.

§2What candidates have said

Why this matters: Statements candidates made publicly, summarized in plain words with a link to where they said it. Candidates who haven't spoken publicly on this issue aren't listed.

Drafted by AI from the public sources cited. Each sentence links to its source.

Pass a law to cover more wetlands and streams again, including some that flow only after rain or snowmelt (1)

  • Deb Haaland NM Governor
    Her healthcare plan says she would push to restore the definition of protected waterways to include intermittent streams.3

Statements that don't match one option (9)

  • Treg Taylor AK Governor
    His campaign website says he helped win Sackett v. EPA at the U.S. Supreme Court, which it says limited federal control of state land.4
  • Mai Vang CA-7
    Her campaign website says she would restore EPA funding and enforcement, protect clean drinking water standards and block federal rollbacks of water protections that she says put groundwater at risk.5
  • Mary E. Miller IL-15
    Her campaign website says she introduced legislation to stop the Environmental Protection Agency from imposing Waters of the United States regulations on farmers and ranchers.6
  • Christina Bertrand Hines MI-10
    Her environment topic page says she will defend and strengthen protections for coastlines, rivers and wetlands.7
  • Michelle Fischbach MN-7
    The record page lists co-sponsoring and voting for a resolution to reverse the Biden administration's Waters of the United States rule.8
  • Mark Alford MO-4
    His campaign website says he will work to protect farmers and ranchers from EPA overregulation through the WOTUS rule and rules on farm dust, streams and ponds.9
  • Rob Menendez NJ-8
    The same page says he cosponsored the Clean Water Act, which it describes as setting protective standards for wetlands, streams and other water bodies.10
  • N'Kiyla Jasmine Thomas OK Senate
    Her campaign website says she would fight to strengthen the Clean Water Act and protect tribal water sovereignty.11
  • James Talarico TX Senate
    His campaign website says he would make strengthening the Clean Water Act a priority.12

§3Related bills

Why this matters: Bills from 2023–2026 that bear on this issue, with how Congress handled them.