Policy and Legal

Washington, D.C. – As the House considers critical permitting reform legislation before year’s end, manufacturers are urging House members to support commonsense reforms.

“The next two weeks in the House are going to be crucial to moving the needle on comprehensive, bipartisan permitting reform,” said National Association of Manufacturers President and CEO Jay Timmons. “In the spirit of the holiday season, we are calling for legislative action during this year-end work window to deliver a gift of a new, workable permitting system that will fuel America’s manufacturers. Over the next 12 days, the House is primed to tackle comprehensive permitting reform, which will boost American competitiveness and unlock greater investments in manufacturing in America.”

This week, manufacturers are urging House members to vote “yes” on the PERMIT Act. This legislation adopts the NAM’s key recommendations for modernizing the Clean Water Act—reforms that increase certainty for permittees, clarify the scope of the CWA and address bottlenecks that have delayed job-creating projects.

Manufacturers this week are also pressing for “yes” votes on the Improving Interagency Coordination for Pipeline Reviews Act, the ePermit Act and the Electric Supply Chain Act—all of which are critical to achieving manufacturers’ vision of energy and AI dominance.

As for next week, the House is planning to vote on the SPEED Act. This legislation is a cornerstone of Manufacturing’s Roadmap to AI and Energy Dominance, the NAM’s blueprint for securing America’s energy and AI leadership. By appropriately shortening environmental review timelines, limiting regulatory and legal uncertainty, expanding categorial exclusions, preventing duplicative reviews and reinforcing recent Supreme Court precedent on the scope of the National Environmental Policy Act, the SPEED Act will accelerate projects essential to meeting rising power demand and lowering energy costs.

Manufacturers also strongly back the Energy and Commerce Committee’s Environment Subcommittee action to advance key legislation to reform the Clean Air Act. From modernizing the New Source Review and National Ambient Air Quality Standards programs, to improving how the Environmental Protection Agency deals with wildfires and international emissions, these bills are integral to comprehensive permitting reform so manufacturers can get shovels in the ground quicker to expand investments and jobs.

“Congress has an opportunity over the next 12 days to demonstrate strong, bipartisan momentum on comprehensive permitting reform for America’s manufacturers. Manufacturers urge policymakers to seize the moment—pass the PERMIT Act and companion bills this week and the SPEED Act next week—and make it easier and more cost-efficient for manufacturers to get shovels in the ground on job-creating projects,” said Timmons.

Timmons added, “Permitting reform will strengthen manufacturing in America. To turn this holiday package into real progress for the country, the Senate must take up the mantle in the new year and advance comprehensive permitting reforms that will empower manufacturers across the country to compete, invest and grow.”

Background:

Manufacturers have been building the case for commonsense permitting reform as part of a comprehensive manufacturing strategy to unleash investment, strengthen our energy future and cement U.S. leadership in emerging technologies, including AI. Eighty percent of manufacturers say the length and complexity of the permitting process is harmful to increasing investment, 87% say they would expand operations, hire more workers or increase wages and benefits if permitting were streamlined, and 68% of manufacturers with permittable projects say they could expand more quickly with a modernized federal permitting system.

-NAM-

The National Association of Manufacturers is the largest manufacturing association in the United States, representing small and large manufacturers in every industrial sector and in all 50 states. Manufacturing employs nearly 13 million men and women, contributes $2.90 trillion to the U.S. economy annually and accounts for 53% of private-sector research and development. The NAM is the powerful voice of the manufacturing community and the leading advocate for a policy agenda that helps manufacturers compete in the global economy and create jobs across the United States. For more information about the NAM or to follow us on Twitter and Facebook, please visit www.nam.org.