To the Members of the U.S. House of Representatives:
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce strongly supports H.R. 4776, the “Standardizing Permitting and Expediting Economic Development Act,” or “SPEED Act,” and urges all Members to vote in favor when it comes to the House floor this week.
The SPEED Act delivers meaningful, bipartisan reforms to the National Environmental Policy Act’s (NEPA) permitting process that will accelerate investment and help communities realize the benefits of needed infrastructure quicker by:
· Cutting Red Tape in NEPA Reviews: Clarifying what qualifies as a “major federal action” and allowing reuse of prior analyses to eliminate duplicative reviews and appropriately speed up approval-related decisions.
· Focusing Reviews Where They Matter: Aligning environmental review requirements with the Supreme Court’s Seven County Infrastructure Coalition decision, reinforcing that NEPA is a procedural statute and limiting review of environmental impacts to those that have “a reasonably close causal relationship” to the project.
· Reining in Litigation Delays: Establishing strict timelines for legal challenges and requiring courts to remedy legal deficiencies without vacating permits, ensuring projects can proceed without years of uncertainty.
· Helping ensure Certainty for Projects: Furthering the goal of durability for completed environmental reviews except in narrow circumstances, fostering enduring investment certainty for all forms of projects.
Permitting reform is not just a business issue—it is a national priority. Delays in project approvals hinder economic development, increase costs for consumers, and undermine America’s ability to build and maintain critical infrastructure. Modernizing this process will enable the timely construction of projects that deliver affordable and reliable energy, ensure adequate and clean water supply, expand broadband connectivity, strengthen our ability to compete in the global race for AI innovation, keep people and goods moving, and deliver lasting benefits to communities across the country.
We commend Chairman Bruce Westerman and Representative Jared Golden for their leadership on this important legislation and urge you to vote YES on the SPEED Act.
Sincerely,
Rodney Davis
Senior Vice President
Government Affairs
U.S. Chamber of Commerce
