Van Hollen Statement on Current Opposition to Moving Forward with Permitting Reform Legislation

WASHINGTON — Today, U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) released the following statement regarding his vote against moving forward with the permitting reform legislation under consideration in the Senate: “When I look at legislation before the Senate, I evaluate how it will benefit Maryland and how it will benefit our nation. And while permitting reform is an important priority, this bill is unfortunately lacking key provisions that are central to communities across Maryland. For starters, this bill does not fully address the Trump Administration’s current efforts to block Maryland’s pending offshore wind project, which would lower energy costs for households across our state and create thousands of good-paying jobs. What’s more, this bill undermines critical provisions that protect the Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries – an economic and environmental lifeline for folks across our state. I’m putting forward changes to the bill to address these concerns; however, while I support the goal behind tackling our burdensome and outdated permitting system, given this bill’s impact on Maryland, I cannot support it in its current form.”