PLF urges Congress to enact bipartisan permitting reform bill

Washington, DC; September 30, 2026: Today, a bipartisan group of Senate committee chairs and ranking members released the text of the Bipartisan American Affordability and Jobs Act of 2026, a bill to reform federal permitting processes. Pacific Legal Foundation applauds the bill’s focus on eliminating red tape and urges Congress to enact it quickly.

“Pacific Legal Foundation strongly supports the Bipartisan American Affordability and Jobs Act of 2026,” said John Nagle, federal policy manager at Pacific Legal Foundation. “Americans should not have to navigate years of costly and unpredictable government processes simply to build a home, develop new energy resources, or create the infrastructure our communities need. Reforming our permitting system is essential to removing unnecessary government barriers that delay projects, drive up costs, and discourage investment. We encourage Congress to move quickly to pass this bill to lower costs for Americans, protect property rights, and restore America’s ability to build.”

Introduced by Environment and Public Works Chairman Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV) and Ranking Member Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), along with Energy and Natural Resources Chairman Mike Lee (R-UT) and Ranking Member Martin Heinrich (D-NM), the bill will reduce regulatory barriers by streamlining permitting and environmental reviews under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), the Clean Water Act (CWA), and the Endangered Species Act (ESA). Reducing these barriers would lower costs, increase access to critical resources, and empower Americans to build more homes.

Pacific Legal Foundation research has found that, under NEPA, geothermal environmental assessments take more than 500 days on average, while mine permitting in the United States takes an average of 29 years—the second longest of any country in the world, behind only Zambia.