Higgins Votes to Streamline Permitting for Energy, Economic Development Projects

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Clay Higgins (R-LA) issued the following statement after voting to pass H.R. 4776, the Standardizing Permitting and Expediting Economic Development (SPEED) Act. The SPEED Act amends the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) to eliminate unnecessary bureaucratic delays from the federal permitting process for important energy, transportation, and water infrastructure projects. The bill sets clear deadlines, allows agencies to use existing environmental assessments, and establishes limitations on judicial review. Read the full text here . “FedGov is far too big, expensive, intrusive and oppressive. This bill is a minor correction in an ongoing effort to reduce the size and scope of the Federal Government’s interactions with American businesses. The current NEPA process is a major barrier to oil and gas development and the construction of infrastructure projects,” said Congressman Higgins. “The SPEED Act cuts red tape, streamlines permitting, and provides certainty for new projects. We’re getting the federal government out of the way and allowing American workers to move forward on projects that grow the economy.”