SPEED Act Clears House with Stauber's Support, Boosting U.S. Infrastructure

Washington, D.C. – Today, Congressman Pete Stauber (MN-08), a cosponsor of H.R. 4776, the Standardizing Permitting and Expediting Economic Development (SPEED) Act, released the following statement after the House passed the comprehensive permitting reform package that streamlines the broken NEPA process this Thursday:

“In Northern Minnesota, our broken permitting system is preventing important mining projects like Twin Metals, NewRange, and Talon Metals from getting online, and forcing basic road, transportation, and water infrastructure projects to face massive delays and costs. The SPEED Act takes politics out of permitting and gets America building again. I was proud to lead on this legislation with Chairman Westerman and Representative Golden.

“The SPEED Act does not weaken foundational environmental laws like the Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act, or Endangered Species Act. It simply streamlines the NEPA process and closes loopholes that have been exploited from day one to stop good projects through endless litigation and red tape.”

“I urge my colleagues in the Senate to swiftly pass this legislation and deliver real permitting reform for the American people.”

Background: The SPEED Act (H.R. 4776), led by House Natural Resources Committee Chairman Bruce Westerman (R-Ark.) and Rep. Jared Golden (D-Maine), is bipartisan legislation that restores the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) to its original intent by addressing statutory flaws causing lengthy permitting delays and frivolous litigation. The outdated NEPA process averages 4.5 years of review, generates thousands of pages of analysis, and costs taxpayers an estimated $3.7 trillion through endless lawsuits. By streamlining environmental reviews, promoting early stakeholder engagement, limiting abusive litigation with a 150-day filing deadline, and establishing predictable timelines, the SPEED Act simplifies procedures, clarifies NEPA's scope, protects shovel-ready projects, and empowers critical infrastructure, energy, and mining projects—boosting American jobs, reducing dependence on foreign adversaries like China, and lowering costs for families while maintaining the strictest environmental standards in the world.

###