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Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum is sounding the call for permitting reform—and echoing the NAM in insisting on the urgency of this much-needed action.

What’s going on: In a Senate Appropriations hearing this week, Burgum said of permitting reform legislation under consideration in Congress: “It’s absolutely essential that this permitting bill goes forward” (POLITICO, subscription).

• “This is the moment,” he added, pledging to do “anything we can do to help get it over the line.”

The background: Permitting reform talks stalled in Congress over the Trump administration’s move to block several offshore wind projects but restarted last month following the Interior Department’s decision to review a number of solar projects.

• Members of both parties have expressed optimism about the prospects of getting a deal done.  

NAM in action: The NAM continues to drive home to policymakers and the public the urgency of permitting reform——most recently through an ad running this week that calls for both surface transportation reauthorization and permitting reform.

• In a much-publicized recent study, the NAM found that America’s broken permitting system costs manufacturers at least $7.9 billion per year.
• Meanwhile, permitting reform has also been a major focus of the NAM’s national “Building to Win” campaign, its AI and energy dominance policy roadmap and the annual NAM  State of Manufacturing Tour, along with other advocacy efforts.

The NAM says: “Sec. Burgum understands the urgent need for permitting reform, and the NAM agrees with him wholeheartedly: the time for permitting reform is right now,” said NAM Vice President of Domestic Policy Chris Phalen. “Manufacturers and energy developers of all types need the certainty of a streamlined, commonsense permitting process to supercharge investments and expansions. It’s time for ribbon cuttings, not red tape.”