WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Brett Guthrie (KY-02), Chairman of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, today highlighted widespread support from manufacturers, energy producers, and job creators across the country for the Committee’s work to advance commonsense permitting reform legislation.
This week, the House will vote on H.R. 6398, the Reducing and Eliminating Duplicative Environmental Regulations Act (RED Tape Act); H.R. 6409, the Foreign Emissions and Nonattainment Clarification for Economic Stability Act (FENCES Act); and H.R. 6387, the Fire Improvement and Reforming Exceptional Events Act (FIRE Act), legislation that eliminates an outdated Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) review requirement under Section 309 of the Clean Air Act, protects states from being penalized for foreign emissions they cannot control, and ends a backwards policy that penalizes wildfire prevention.
Don’t miss what American job creators are saying:
Will Hupman, Vice President—Downstream Policy, American Petroleum Institute:
“It’s time to move from gridlock to greenlight. That means requiring air quality standards to be attainable and feasible while modernizing the permitting process to be more timely, efficient, and consistent across federal and state agencies. API supports legislation that will amend the Clean Air Act to require EPA and states to correct monitoring biases, develop and use modern probabilistic modeling tools, and focus regulatory efforts on cost effective emissions sources that states and industries can control.”
Charles Crain, Managing Vice President, Policy, National Association of Manufacturers:
“Manufacturers support responsible and commonsense modernizations to the Clean Air Act as part of comprehensive permitting reform efforts in Congress. In a recent report released by the NAM in partnership with the Foundation for American Innovation, nearly 73% of manufacturers must obtain Clean Air Act permits to proceed with planned projects. Overall, the U.S. manufacturing sector has incurred an average annual permitting burden of at least $7.9 billion. If we want to grow America’s economy, we need to fix this broken system, which involves modernizing the Clean Air Act.”
Chet Thompson, President and CEO, American Fuel & Petrochemical Manufacturers:
“Without congressional action, regulatory hurdles under the CAA will continue to stall project approval needed to expand refinery and petrochemical facility operations. A weakened refining and petrochemical sector would reduce supply, create market scarcity, and ultimately raise costs - undermining affordability for American consumers.”
Rich Nolan, President & CEO of the National Mining Association:
“The mining industry continues to operate under a comprehensive framework of federal and state laws, regulations and policies that govern nearly every inch of a mine site. While the NMA and our members support regulations that foster environmental protection and promote responsible development, we also rely on fair, consistent and predictable permitting processes to enable U.S. mining to be competitive across the economy. These bills support this balance by fostering ongoing air quality improvements while preventing unnecessary burdens that reduce economic growth and tax revenues vital to local communities.”
Neil Bradley, Executive Vice President, Chief Policy Officer, and Head of Strategic Advocacy, U.S. Chamber of Commerce:
“By modernizing permitting and clarifying regulatory requirements, Congress can unlock private investment, accelerate job creation, and enhance national security. Importantly, these reforms will allow us to build the modern infrastructure needed to compete in the global race for innovation—supporting advancements in artificial intelligence, strengthening transportation networks, expanding affordable and reliable energy, and ensuring America remains a leader in technology and economic growth.”
Paul Noe, Vice President Public Policy, American Forest & Paper Association:
“The American Forest & Paper Association supports the House Committee on Energy and Commerce’s recent actions to modernize our air permitting system that is increasingly outdated and overly rigid. Unless addressed, these challenges will essentially block permitting approval for projects that support American manufacturing and family-wage jobs. We believe swift passage of the FENCES Act (H.R. 6409), FIRE Act (H.R. 6387), and the RED Tape Act (H.R. 6398) is a critical opportunity to continue the Committee’s commitment towards smart, streamlined regulations that support American manufacturers.”
Amy Andryszak, President & CEO, Interstate Natural Gas Association of America:
“Together, these needed permitting reforms will ensure that new and upgraded natural gas pipeline infrastructure continues to support a resilient, affordable, and environmentally sustainable energy system for American families and businesses. INGAA and the companies we represent stand ready to enact these proposals and other reasonable, balanced policies to achieve this essential goal.”
Jackson Morrill, President and CEO, American Wood Council:
“The American Wood Council (AWC) expresses support and appreciation for the House of Representatives efforts to address some the mounting permitting challenges facing American businesses such as the wood products industry under increasingly stringent air quality standards. Unless addressed, these challenges will essentially block permitting approval for projects critical to economic growth and more efficient manufacturing infrastructure.”
Kevin M. Dempsey, President and Chief Executive Officer, American Iron and Steel Institute:
“The American steel industry leads the world in clean and energy-efficient steel production, making steel with lower CO2 emissions intensity than the other major steel-producing countries. However, certain aspects of the CAA can result in the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) placing complex air regulatory requirements on industrial facilities that constrain important investments in American facilities while providing limited benefits to human health or the environment. These constraints can lead to the offshoring of valuable jobs to countries with lax environmental regulations. This result benefits no one as American jobs are lost, and global net pollution is increased. AISI believes the CAA requires updating to reduce the complexity and burden associated with CAA permitting, so that companies can make investments and create good-paying jobs while maintaining the highest level of environmental performance.”