Input Stories

Yesterday, the House of Representatives wrapped up the legislative year with bipartisan action on permitting reform by passing the Standardizing Permitting and Expediting Economic Development Act (SPEED Act). The House’s action now sends the bill to the Senate.

• This NAM-backed legislation tackles America’s broken permitting system by cutting delays and restoring certainty. It shortens environmental review timelines, limits regulatory and legal uncertainty, expands categorial exclusions and prevents duplicative reviews. It also reinforces recent Supreme Court precedent on the scope of the National Environmental Policy Act.

More wins: A number of other NAM-supported bills either passed or moved forward in the legislative process over the past two weeks. Here’s a quick recap:

• Last week, the House passed the PERMIT Act, which adopts the NAM’s key recommendations for modernizing the Clean Water Act. The bill will increase certainty for permittees, clarify the scope of the CWA and address bottlenecks that have delayed job-creating projects. 
• The House also passed the Improving Interagency Coordination for Pipeline Reviews Act, the ePermit Act and the Electric Supply Chain Act—all of which are critical to achieving manufacturers’ vision of energy and AI dominance.
• Meanwhile, the House Energy and Commerce Committee’s Environment Subcommittee advanced key legislation to reform the Clean Air Act, which would modernize the New Source Review and National Ambient Air Quality Standards programs as well as improve how the Environmental Protection Agency deals with wildfires and international emissions.

The NAM says: “With permitting reform, manufacturers will be able to build and expand operations all across the country, creating more well-paying jobs that strengthen communities and help families thrive. It’s about lifting people up, expanding opportunity and making the American Dream a reality,” said NAM President and CEO Jay Timmons in a statement.

• “Permitting reform is the key that allows us to realize the benefits of historic tax reforms fully, make America energy dominant, lead the world in artificial intelligence and drive innovation on shop floors. Measures like the SPEED Act, which is a cornerstone of the NAM’s ‘Manufacturing’s Roadmap to AI and Energy Dominance,’ will boost American competitiveness and help us build a better quality of life for all.
• “Manufacturers send our gratitude to every member who voted ‘yes,’ and particularly House Natural Resources Committee Chairman Bruce Westerman (R-AR) and Rep. Jared Golden (D-ME) for their leadership.” 

Next steps: “In the New Year, the Senate should come together in the same bipartisan spirit to pass legislation that will empower America’s manufacturers to grow, compete and win,” Timmons urged.