WASHINGTON – In a show of opposition to the Environmental Protection Agency’s proposed Waters of the U.S. rule, Republicans in the House of Representatives voted overwhelmingly on Wednesday in favor of a resolution of disapproval to vacate the law.

U.S. Rep. Scott Tipton, R-Cortez, who has been a vocal opponent of the rule, views it as a federal takeover of private water rights. He joined with his Republican colleagues in a 253-166 vote in favor of striking down the legislation.

“The Waters of the U.S. rule, this administration’s most onerous federal water grab, threatens the private property rights of millions of Western water users who rely on access to their water rights for everything from irrigating crops and providing clean and reliable municipal drinking water supplies, to attracting tourism opportunities through recreation,” Tipton said in a statement after the resolution passed the House.

The U.S. Senate in November passed a similar measure in a 53-44 vote.

The WOTUS rule, also known as the Clean Water Rule, would redefine federal regulations regarding “waters of the United States” under the Clean Water Act.

Republicans in both the House and Senate, including Tipton and Sen. Cory Gardner, R-Colo., view the proposed change as an increase of control over water rights by expanding the scope of the federal government’s jurisdiction.

“Water is truly the lifeblood of the arid West, and for over a century, state water law and priority-based systems have successfully protected these rights to ensure water users and communities retain the ability to responsibly access and manage this precious limited resource,” Tipton said.

In October, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 6th Circuit issued a nationwide stay for the rule’s implementation. That ruling followed a temporary injunction issued earlier by a federal judge in August after Colorado and 12 other states requested a delay.

But supporters of the proposed rule change say it does not infringe upon private property rights and does not regulate any new types of waters, instead viewing it as a clarification of existing water rules.

According to the EPA, the rule “ensures that waters protected under the Clean Water Act are more precisely defined, more predictably determined, and easier for businesses and industry to understand.”

The House- and Senate-passed resolution of disapproval will head to President Barack Obama, who has promised to veto it.

egraham@durangoherald.com. Edward Graham is a student at American University in Washington, D.C., and an intern for The Durango Herald.