Iowa Farm Bureau chief knocks Rubio over missing vote

A top Iowa agriculture leader is taking issue with presidential candidate Sen. Marco Rubio’s (R-Fla.) decision to skip a Senate vote against a controversial Obama water regulation.

Craig Hill, the president of the Iowa Farm Bureau Federation, said “it’s unfortunate” that Rubio wasn’t in the Senate last week to cast a vote on a bill from Sen. Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) blocking the so-called Waters of the United States rule.

{mosads}“For a member of Congress who is placed there, and given the trust of the people, to miss votes on something of this magnitude, it’s unfortunate,” Hill told the Des Moines Register.

Republicans and agriculture groups have criticized the Environmental Protection Agency’s water rule, arguing it gives the federal government too much regulatory power over small waterways, which could constrict farming activities.

The Senate passed Ernst’s Congressional Review Act resolution against the rule last Wednesday, but Rubio missed the vote.

Rubio told the Register he would repeal the water rule on his first day in office if he wins next year’s presidential election. He noted, too, that he voted for a separate bill against the rule earlier in the week, though that legislation failed to overcome a Democratic filibuster.

“They’ve completely lost their minds and they’ve gone well beyond their rightful role,” Rubio said of the EPA.

“It’s hurting not just farmers. Obviously for farmers it’s devastating because of large land holdings, but it’s impacting all sorts of industries: the energy industry, manufacturing,” he said. “You name it.”

Rubio has missed many Senate votes during his presidential campaign, a tendency his GOP rivals have looked to use against him in the race. Rubio and his backers note that it’s common for senators running for president to miss roll-call votes during their campaigns.

The water rule is broadly opposed by Republicans and their presidential candidates. During Tuesday night’s GOP debate, former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush pledged to undo it and other Obama-era regulations if he were to be elected president.