The Houston Chronicle reports:
More than 20 members of Congress want to join a federal lawsuit to help protect Gov. Greg Abbott’s buoy barrier in the Rio Grande, referencing Noah’s Ark and questioning if the river can be considered a “navigable waterway” despite being the fourth largest river in North America.
In a motion filed on behalf of U.S. Rep. Jodey Arrington, R-Lubbock, and other GOP members, lawyers for the conservative Texas Public Policy Foundation have asked to be part of the case and targeted how a key law is interpreted in it.
The U.S. Justice Department sued Abbott last month for deploying a 1,000-foot buoy barrier in the Rio Grande without first getting permission from the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers as required by the federal Rivers and Harbors Act.
From their amicus brief:
Indeed, if one takes the Book of Genesis literally, then the entire world was once navigable by boats large enough to carry significant amounts of livestock. Under the federal government’s theory, these anecdotes would render any structure built anywhere in Texas an obstruction to navigation subject to federal regulation.
Arrington was among the 126 Republican House reps who voted to overturn the 2020 election.
NEW: Republicans are invoking Noah’s Ark in court to defend Greg Abbott’s border buoys in the Rio Grande
This is a first for me. Never seen a Noah citation in a court document before.
https://t.co/SqTtA6QfOV via @houstonchron— Jeremy Wallace (@JeremySWallace) August 10, 2023
It is all part of their questioning of whether the federal government can really classify the Rio Grande as a federal navigable river despite it being the 4th largest river in North America
— Jeremy Wallace (@JeremySWallace) August 10, 2023
Texas Gov Abbott has installed circular saws between the Rio Grande border buoys to maim or kill anyone who attempts to climb over. Two bodies have already been found trapped in the floating barrier.
He wants more migrants to die.
pic.twitter.com/8siVD08TpL— Laiken Jordahl (@LaikenJordahl) August 8, 2023
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott is under fire for installing buoys with “circular saws” in the Rio Grande along the U.S.-Mexican border. Mexican authorities say two people have died. pic.twitter.com/it5helvFYS
— VICE News (@VICENews) August 10, 2023
Texas to Biden: We will see you at SCOTUS.
We filled more than 300 pages in a legal brief explaining — in detail — why Texas can use the floating barriers that we have placed in the Rio Grande River. https://t.co/mFLhNZk6UN
— Greg Abbott (@GregAbbott_TX) August 11, 2023
Everyone needs to see what I saw in Eagle Pass today.
Clothing stuck on razor wire where families got trapped. Chainsaw devices in the middle of buoys. Land seized from US citizens.
Operation Lone Star is barbaric — and @GovAbbott is making border communities collateral damage. pic.twitter.com/PzKyZGWfds
— Joaquin Castro (@JoaquinCastrotx) August 8, 2023