Promoting Efficient Review for Modern Infrastructure Today Act
Floor Speech
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Mr. STAUBER. Mr. Chairman, I rise today in support of H.R. 3898, the PERMIT Act.
Our permitting system is a great burden to our Nation. Permitting delays infrastructure projects indefinitely and stops us from bringing critical energy sources online. It also deters investment in our communities. Make no mistake: Permitting is holding back America.
Mr. Chair, H.R. 3898, the Promoting Efficient Review for Modern Infrastructure Today Act, also known as the PERMIT Act, aims to unleash the American economy. It is a package of commonsense reforms that will reduce regulatory burdens, establish certainty, and increase transparency in our permitting system.
This bill will, in turn, create opportunities for homebuilders, our farmers, loggers, and our small business owners. It will entice them to invest in projects that help our local communities grow.
Mr. Chair, I will highlight section 12 of H.R. 3898. Section 12 is the language of my bill, the Reducing Permitting Uncertainty Act.
Section 404(c) of the Clean Water Act allows the EPA to veto a dredge-and-fill permit. However, under Biden, the EPA took it upon itself to proactively reject permits and retroactively take away permits.
In a country of due process, it is absurd that a government can dictate whether a project is good or bad even before an application is filed. The fact that the government can waltz in and shut down years of hard work is staggering.
This section of H.R. 3898 is not a dramatic departure from the status quo. It clarifies timelines and brings certainty. When an application is pending, the EPA can determine whether or not to veto. It is simple.
It does not alter the process, nor does it deprive the EPA of its right to veto. It returns our process to one based on science and facts rather than politics.
Mr. Chair, I thank Congressman Collins for his efforts on this package of reforms, and I look forward to supporting it.
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