Weekly Newsletter: Permitting delays are holding America back. There is a bipartisan path forward, if Congress takes it.
<<<SHOULD CONGRESS PURSUE TRULY BIPARTISAN PERMITTING REFORM THIS FALL?>>> ([link removed] )
John,
This week, House Majority Leader Steve Scalise suggested that Republicans plan to pursue a permitting reform bill this fall. This is critical: Across America, billions of dollars in infrastructure projects, new factories, and facilities are stuck in a tangle of red tape. This is holding back our economy and the growth of good-paying jobs.
Scalise said that any permitting bill would “ideally” be bipartisan:
That sounds promising. But the devil, as always, is in the details.
If Republicans end up writing the bill on their own, and then hope a few token Democrats sign on, that is not real bipartisanship.
That matters for two reasons. One, a purely partisan bill would have no chance of clearing the filibuster-proof 60-vote threshold in the Senate. And second, when both parties shape the legislation, both parties are invested in making it work, and neither side is looking to tear it down.
The right way to do this is the way Congress – led by No Labels’ House and Senate allies – passed the 2021 infrastructure bill: start in the middle and build a coalition that can last. That is exactly the way permitting and regulatory reform needs to be done. Because there is a lot at stake.
One October 2024 poll ([link removed] ) found a majority of Americans agreed that there are “too many government regulations preventing the development of new infrastructure.” Another study ([link removed] ) by the Bipartisan Policy Center and Morning Consult found 61 percent of voters said they support streamlining the permitting process for clean energy projects, versus only 13 percent opposed. Support was strong across party lines, including Democrats, Republicans, and independents.
The reason is simple: Americans want to see progress on the projects that will improve their quality of life – from faster broadband to more reliable power grids. But right now, we are stuck. According to federal permitting data ([link removed] ) , more than 1,000 major U.S. infrastructure projects, each worth $1 billion or more, are waiting for federal approval. The American Clean Power Association reports ([link removed] ) that delays are holding back over 100 gigawatts of new energy capacity. That is the equivalent of powering 75 million homes.
This is not who we used to be.
America built the Transcontinental Railroad, nearly 2,000 miles of track across mountains, deserts, and plains, in just over six years using 19th-century tools and manpower. The Empire State Building went up in 13 months. The Golden Gate Bridge took a little over four years. America was a nation of builders.
Today, we call it a victory when LaGuardia Airport gets rebuilt in eight years. That is the gap. Not in our talent or ambition, but in the processes we now have to navigate just to get anything done.
None of this is happening in a vacuum. While our projects are bogged down in litigation, China ([link removed] ) is laying high-speed rail, building thousands of miles of freeways, and completing major projects in record time. These charts ([link removed] ) from MIT show how Beijing has leapfrogged us in energy generation. They are not outpacing us because they are smarter. They are just building faster.
Permitting reform is not about cutting corners. Countries like Germany and Japan can build top-quality infrastructure in much less time than us, and with better environmental protection. It is simply a matter of making sure the best ideas are not lost in years of red tape and litigation.
It is also about doing it right. A bipartisan bill, written from the middle out, delivers the permanent reform we can count on.
Leader Scalise is right to say this should be bipartisan. Now the question is whether he and his colleagues will truly treat it that way.
Because the need is real. The opportunity is enormous. And reclaiming our title as a nation of builders starts with getting this done together.
Dan Webb
No Labels Board
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No Labels Academy Briefing with Ray Takeyh ([link removed] )
Tuesday, July 29, at 4:00 PM ET
Join us for an Academy briefing with Dr. Ray Takeyh, a leading thinker on Iran’s regime and Middle East strategy. At a time when Iran’s internal power struggles and the health of Ayatollah Khamenei could reshape the future of the entire region, this conversation will help you understand what might come next.
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