Fix Broken Permitting and Regulatory Laws

Floor Speech

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Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise to shed light on the broken permitting process that creates roadblocks to unleashing American innovation and development while costing more taxpayer dollars with basically nothing to show for the expenses.

The Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2023 attempted to change course and imposed a 2-year deadline and a 150-page cap on environmental impact statements. However, the Council on Environmental Quality reports that 61 percent of environmental impact statements still take over 2 years to complete.

The other two branches of government are taking actions to inject some regulatory common sense into the process. President Trump's ``Unleashing American Energy'' executive order directs Federal agencies to confine NEPA analysis to applicable law, and in May, the Supreme Court ruled unanimously on narrowing the scope of NEPA.

It is time for Congress to take bipartisan, bicameral action to fix the broken permitting and regulatory laws so that America can thrive.

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