News & Insights

Washington, D.C. – Following House passage of the bipartisan Standardizing Permitting and Expediting Economic Development (SPEED) Act by a vote of 221-196, National Association of Manufacturers President and CEO Jay Timmons released the following statement: 

“With permitting reform, manufacturers will be able to build and expand operations all across the country, creating more well-paying jobs that strengthen communities and help families thrive. It’s about lifting people up, expanding opportunity and making the American Dream a reality. 

“Permitting reform is the key that allows us to realize the benefits of historic tax reforms fully, make America energy dominant, lead the world in artificial intelligence and drive innovation on shop floors. Measures like the SPEED Act, which is a cornerstone of the NAM’s ‘Manufacturing’s Roadmap to AI and Energy Dominance,’ will boost American competitiveness and help us build a better quality of life for all.  

“Now that the House has passed the SPEED Act, it has completed a rapid series of actions on permitting legislation with bipartisan support. In the New Year, the Senate should come together in the same bipartisan spirit to pass legislation that will empower America’s manufacturers to grow, compete and win. 

“Manufacturers send our gratitude to every member who voted ‘yes,’ and particularly House Natural Resources Committee Chairman Bruce Westerman (R-AR) and Rep. Jared Golden (D-ME) for their leadership.” 

Background: 

The NAM called on House members to vote “yes” on the SPEED Act ahead of the vote.  

Last week, manufacturers urged 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.  

The House passed several additional NAM-backed permitting and grid modernization bills, including 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. 

Manufacturers also strongly supported the House Energy and Commerce Committee’s Environment Subcommittee action last week 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. 

According to results from the NAM’s Q2 and Q4 2024 Manufacturers’ Outlook Surveys:   

• 80% of manufacturers say that the length and complexity of the permitting process is harmful to increasing investment; 

• 87% of manufacturers would expand business operations, hire more workers or increase wages and benefits if the permitting process were more streamlined; and 
• 68% of manufacturers with permittable expansion plans say they would be able to expand more quickly with a streamlined 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. 

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