Support for the Bipartisan American Affordability and Jobs Act of 2026

Dear Chairmen Capito and Lee and Ranking Members Whitehouse and Heinrich:

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce (the Chamber) strongly supports the Bipartisan American Affordability and Jobs Act of 2026, landmark permitting reform legislation that will unlock investment, strengthen America's competitiveness, and create new opportunities for workers and communities across the country.

The Chamber’s Growth and Opportunity Imperative calls on policymakers to pursue the pro-growth agenda necessary to expand opportunity, raise living standards, and strengthen America's economic future. Sustained economic growth means more jobs, higher wages, greater affordability, and a better quality of life for families and communities across the country. Permitting reform is foundational to unlocking that opportunity.

Right now, approximately $1.5 trillion in job-creating projects are stuck waiting for government approvals. These projects are the new bridge that makes the morning commute faster and safer, the broadband line that finally connects a community, a pipeline that could lower heating bills, modernized ports and airports, and water system upgrades that have been needed for years. Real improvements in the daily lives of families across the country.

Yet far too often, these critical investments are trapped in an unpredictable and time-consuming permitting process Major projects frequently spend years and sometimes decades navigating red tape and litigation before construction can begin. The average federal environmental review takes roughly five years, with electric transmission projects taking a decade or more to permit, and new mining projects requiring decades to move from discovery to production. Such delays increase costs, discourage investment, undermine America’s global competitiveness, and postpone the benefits that communities desperately need.

The Bipartisan American Affordability and Jobs Act of 2026 is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to fix our broken permitting system. Americans are paying the price for a system that takes too long and delivers too little. Congress should seize this bipartisan opportunity and send the bill to the President's desk as soon as possible.

Sincerely,

Neil Bradley
Executive Vice President, Chief Policy Officer,
and Head of Strategic Advocacy,
U.S. Chamber of Commerce

CC: Senate Majority Leader John Thune and Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer