Chairman Guthrie Speaks on Permitting Reform on the Floor of the House

Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the gentleman from Alabama yielding, and I appreciate his hard work because of the Rural Transformation Health Care Fund that was in the one big beautiful bill that originated the idea, and we certainly appreciate his hard work on that. But today I rise to support H.R. 6409, the Fences Act, H.R. 6398, the Red Tape Act, and H.R. 6387, the Fire Act. These three bills are a central part of the committee's broader efforts on permitting reform and align with the White House permitting priorities, which include modernizing the Clean Air Act. A lot has changed since 1990, the last time the Clean Air Act got a substantive overhaul. Some parts of the law have become outdated, contributing to the regulatory gridlock that is stifling American growth and innovation. A lot has changed since 1990, the last time the Clean Air Act got a substantive overhaul, and some parts of the law have become outdated, contributing also to more gridlock. These bills are foundational to our permitting reform efforts because they illustrate ways we protect public health and the environment while removing outdated provisions that are slowing energy production and manufacturing, ultimately preventing job creation. The Energy and Commerce Committee has held multiple hearings as Congress on the process for establishing and implementing national air quality standards and improving the pre-construction permitting program without sacrificing environmental protections. Some of the most expensive and significant barriers in the permitting process are the result of law's outdated provisions. What's worse, these burdensome requirements fail to address the most significant sources of pollution and create disincentives for companies to invest in cost-efficient, effective technology that would actually improve air quality. In the U.S., it takes 80% longer to permit projects than elsewhere in the world. America's outdated permitting system costs manufacturers in the U.S. approximately $7.9 billion each year. While a reasonable level of permitting is, of course, needed, without common-sense reforms, our nation risks falling behind our adversaries like China. Notably, over 70% of projects require Clean Air Act permits, which have the most burdensome approval process of any permitting requirement. Notably, over 70% of projects require these permits, and these three bills remove regulatory uncertainty and bureaucratic hoops that impact what job creators build to build new businesses, but do not change the underlying environmental protections in the law. The Fences Act, introduced by Congressman Pfluger, ensures that states and local communities are not penalized for foreign air emissions emanating outside of the U.S. The Fences Act clarifies that all foreign emissions, whether natural or man-made, are not considered when determining whether a state meets national air quality standards. The Fences Act protects manufacturers and communities from unnecessary compliance burdens caused by events beyond their control, such as pollution from China or foreign wildfires or dust storms, while upholding environmental standards under the Clean Air Act. The Red Tape Act, introduced by Congressman Joyce, eliminates a duplicate of environmental review for projects already subject to NEPA environmental review. The duplicate of a process leads to additional delays and costs in the NEPA process. The Fire Act, introduced by Congressman Gabe Evans and co-led by Congressman Adam Gray, updates the Clean Air Act to address the biggest threat in air pollution this country faces today – wildfires. Bipartisan legislation ensures that states are not punished for prescribed burns or emissions they cannot control. Prescribed burns are the most effective tool to decrease the severity of wildfires. And public health problems associated with wildfire smoke. Despite the widespread acceptance of benefits of prescribed burns, they are underutilized across the U.S. due to perverse regulatory burdens under current air quality laws. Urge my colleagues to join me in supporting H.R. 6409, the Fences Act, the Red Tape Act, and the Fire Act. These bills provide common-sense solutions and long-needed updates to the Clean Air Act. I will yield back.