Blue Dog Coalition Endorses Permitting Reform Legislation and Encourages Leadership to Act

WASHINGTON D.C. — The Blue Dog Coalition issued the following statement endorsing the Standardizing Permitting and Expediting Economic Development (SPEED) Act, a bipartisan bill to streamline the permitting process, implement reasonable timelines, and return the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) to its intended purpose as a procedural review for assessing the environmental impact of federal actions.

“Being a builder in America should not require a team of expensive lawyers or cost millions of dollars in administrative fees. But unfortunately for far too many of our communities, that is their reality. The SPEED Act addresses this problem by returning NEPA to its congressional intent and establishing clear and enforceable timelines across the NEPA review process. This will allow our nation to build what we need, when we need it. By encouraging investments in critical infrastructure, energy, conservation projects, and reliable water storage, this legislation is a key step in the long work of providing reliable and affordable energy for our constituents," said the Blue Dog Coalition.“We are proud to endorse this much-needed legislation and urge Congressional leadership in both chambers to act swiftly in advancing this proposal.” 

The SPEED Act is co-led by Rep. Jared Golden (ME-02), and co-sponsored by Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (WA-03), Rep. Henry Cuellar (TX-28), Rep. Vicente Gonzalez (TX-34), Rep. Adam Gray (CA-13), and Rep. Jim Costa (CA-21).