Story highlights Issa was a major critic of Obama

He joined the majority of his colleagues in Congress to overturn one of Obama's final environmental rules

Washington (CNN) A staunch critic of former President Barack Obama said Thursday he voted to overturn a rule from the last administration because of the timing when Obama put it in place.

The comments from Rep. Darrell Issa, a California Republican, on CNN's "The Situation Room" came after both houses of Congress moved to void the Stream Protection Rule.

Obama imposed the rule in December, saying it would prevent coal mine pollution from entering surrounding waterways.

Issa said he believed coal mining needed to be made cleaner, but that he voted Wednesday to overturn the regulation because Obama's timing was unfair.

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