WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, House Republican Whip Steve Scalise (R-LA) and Rep. Dan Newhouse (R-WA) led a joint House Energy Action Team (HEAT) and Congressional Western Caucus letter signed by 130 Members in support of the Council on Environmental Quality’s (CEQ) efforts to modernize the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA).

“In our districts across the country, we constantly hear about the opportunities lost when projects are stalled by NEPA’s increasingly time consuming and unnecessary red tape,” the letter reads. “As we travel throughout our communities, we experience these failures as we encounter crumbling roads and closed-off bridges that may wait years for repair. We all want better roads, stronger bridges, and improved infrastructure, but without NEPA reform that reality is years away.”

The letter, spearheaded by Whip Scalise and Rep. Newhouse, is an effort on behalf of the House Energy Action Team and Congressional Western Caucus to encourage and support the Trump Administration’s efforts to streamline and modernize NEPA in order to encourage environmental leadership while eliminating the negative effects of permitting delays for critical infrastructure projects in communities across the United States.

The Unlock American Investment Coalition, comprised of 40+ trade associations and organized by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, supports NEPA modernization in order to incentivize American investment in modern, efficient infrastructure and create middle-class sustaining jobs while advancing good environmental stewardship.

“Projects should not take longer to permit than they do to construct,” said Marty Durbin, Senior Vice President for Policy at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. “American businesses and labor organizations from across the economy stand ready to provide the infrastructure our nation needs—from roads and bridges to broadband and renewable energy. However, we won’t be able to meet our growing infrastructure challenges without restoring the NEPA permitting process back to its original intent. We’re thankful for the support of so many members of Congress and we look forward to the Administration finalizing the new rule without delay.”

The letter was signed by Rep. Dan Newhouse (R-WA), House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA), House Republican Whip and HEAT Co-Chair Steve Scalise (R-LA), House Republican Conference Chair Liz Cheney (R-WY), HEAT Co-Chairs Jeff Duncan (R-SC) and Markwayne Mullin (R-OK), Western Caucus Chairman Paul Gosar, D.D.S. (R-AZ), and Reps. Jodey C. Arrington (R-TX), Greg Pence (R-IN), Doug Lamborn (R-CO), Bill Flores (R-FL), Randy K. Weber (R-TX), Guy Reschenthaler (R-PA), Troy Balderson (R-OH), Debbie Lesko (R-AZ), Kelly Armstrong (R-ND), Bruce Westerman (R-AR), Michael C. Burgess, M.D. (R-TX), Michael Cloud (R-TX), Larry Buschon, M.D. (R-IN), Tim Walberg (R-MI), Mike Simpson (R-ID), Mike Kelly (R-PA), Greg Gianforte (R-MT), Scott Tipton (R-CO), Tom McClintock (R-CA), Ron Wright (R-TX), Rick W. Allen (R-GA), John Ratcliffe (R-TX), Daniel P. Meuser (R-PA), Alex X. Mooney (R-WV), Pete Olson (R-TX), Kevin Hern (R-OK), Doug LaMalfa (R-CA), Billy Long (R-MO), Blaine Luetkemeyer (R-MO), John Joyce, M.D. (R-PA), Tom Rice (R-SC), Carol D. Miller (R-WV), Mike Johnson (R-LA), Sam Graves (R-MO), Steve Womack (R-AR), Dan Crenshaw (R-TX), Mike Bost (R-IL), Jim Jordan (R-OH), Jim Hagedorn (R-MN), Adam Kinzinger (R-IL), David P. Roe, M.D. (R-TN), Brett Guthrie (R-KY), Tom Cole (R-OK), Jack Bergman (R-MI), Steve Chabot (R-OH), French Hill (R-AR), Virginia Foxx (R-NC), Trent Kelly (R-MS), Andy Barr (R-KY), George Holding (R-NC), Ralph Abraham, M.D. (R-LA), Glenn 'GT' Thompson (R-PA), Louie Gohmert (R-TX), Chris Stewart (R-UT), Garret Graves (R-LA), Russ Fulcher (R-ID), Ralph Norman (R-SC), Earl L. “Buddy” Carter (R-SC), Rob Bishop (R-UT), Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA), Frank Lucas (R-OK), Michael Waltz (R-FL), Robert E. Latta (R-OH), David Rouzer (R-NC), Jenniffer Gonzalez-Colon (R-PR), Tim Burchett (R-TN), Don Young (R-AK), Rick Crawford (R-AR), Roger Marshall, M.D. (R-KS), Ken Calvert (CA-42), H. Morgan Griffith (R-VA), Jason Smith (R-MO), Steve King (R-IA), Paul Cook (R-CA), John Moolenaar (R-MI), Bob Gibbs (R-OH), Dusty Johnson (R-SD), Bill Johnson (R-OH), James R. Baird (R-IN), Ken Buck (R-CO), John Curtis (R-UT), Brian Babin (R-TX), Gary Palmer (R-AL), Rodney Davis (R-IL), John Shimkus (R-IL), Greg Walden (R-OR), Andy Biggs (R-AZ), Ted S. Yoho, D.V.M. (R-FL), Roger Williams (R-TX), Robert Aderholt (R-AL), Mark Amodei (R-NV), Neal Dunn (R-FL), Doug Collins (R-GA), Clay Higgins (R-LA), Chuck Fleischmann (R-TN), Daniel Webster (R-FL), Glenn Grothman (R-WI), Scott Perry (R-PA), Barry Loudermilk (R-GA), Susan Brooks (R-IN), Martha Roby (R-AL), Rob Woodall (R-GA), Michael Guest (R-MS), Gus M. Bilirakis (R-FL), John Rose (R-TN), John R. Carter (R-TX), Jody B. Hice (R-GA), John H. Rutherford (R-FL), Ron Estes (R-KS), Fred Keller (R-PA), Ross Spano (R-FL), Steve Watkins (R-KS), Mike Gallagher (R-WI), Adrian Smith (R-NE), James Comer (R-KY), and William Timmons (R-SC).

The full letter can be found here.

Background: In January, the Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) issued a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking to modernize and clarify the regulations of NEPA to facilitate a more efficient, effective, and timely NEPA review process. CEQ has not comprehensively updated its regulations since their promulgation in 1978, more than four decades ago. The proposed amendments in this rulemaking would advance the original goals of CEQ regulations to reduce paperwork and delays of implementations of the policies set forth in NEPA. Click here to learn more.

Source: Western Caucus