ICYMI: Former Reps. Cheri Bustos & Joe Crowley Pen Op-ed Urging Congress to Act on Permitting Reform & Clear the Way for America to Build
In a new opinion piece, Next American Era leaders call on the Congress to negotiate bipartisan permitting deal before the legislative window closes
WASHINGTON, DC — In Case You Missed It: In a new op-ed published in 535 News, Next American Era President and former Chair of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee Cheri Bustos and NAE Senior Advisor and former Chairman of the House Democratic Caucus Joe Crowley argue that the root of America’s affordability crisis is that the country stopped building. The NAE leaders call on Congress to pass comprehensive, bipartisan permitting reform before the legislative window for the year closes.
In their piece, they point to new research from the Responsible Business Initiative, commissioned by NAE, that shows the cost of delay when it comes to energy projects and backlogs that cost customers each year. These permitting delays are driven by a complex system of overlapping problems – from understaffed agencies and sequential reviews to interconnection backlogs and litigation – and therefore comprehensive, federal reform is needed. With bipartisan bills like the SPEED Act having already passed the House, they urged that Congress should negotiate a bipartisan deal before the midterms close the window.
Below are a few key passages from Bustos's and Crowley's piece:
“Life in America keeps getting more expensive. Rent, power bills, and groceries keep outrunning wages. While there are many reasons for this, one runs beneath all of them: we stopped building. The homes, power lines, and factories that would bring prices down by adding supply are stuck for years in a permitting system that no longer does its job. Making life more affordable means making it possible to build again… Energy permitting is where the breakdown shows clearest… these kinds of disruptions only worsen the affordability crisis – and if every new project is an election away from going back to square one, capital will stay on the sidelines and power bills will keep climbing.”
“New research from the Responsible Business Initiative, commissioned by Next American Era, shows that permitting delays stem from multiple overlapping obstacles: understaffed agencies, sequential reviews, interconnection backlogs, litigation, and complex supply chains – all colliding to ensure projects never get done. Reform aimed at just one of these issues does little about the rest. That’s why we need comprehensive, bipartisan permitting reform.”
“There’s a real chance to act. Bipartisan bills, including the SPEED Act, have already passed the House and are waiting on Senate negotiations. But with the midterms closing in and the legislative calendar shrinking, that window won’t stay open long. Congress has a choice: tackle a problem that directly affects household costs, or do nothing.”
About Next American Era
Next American Era is a national 501(c)(4) organization focused on advancing a pro-growth, pro-consumer, and pro-worker agenda that strengthens communities, fuels innovation, and expands economic opportunity for all Americans. NAE is led by Cheri Bustos, former Chair of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee and former U.S. Representative for Illinois's 17th congressional district.
###