Stauber Applauds Advancement of the SPEED Act (H.R. 4776) Through Committee

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 Natural Resources Committee advanced the comprehensive permitting reform package:

“I am proud to stand with Chairman Bruce Westerman (R-AR) and Rep. Jared Golden (D-ME) in advancing the bipartisan SPEED Act out of the Natural Resources Committee. Our nation’s permitting system is broken. It’s been weaponized for over 50 years to block projects rather than build them. This isn’t a partisan issue. From critical minerals in Northern Minnesota to clean water infrastructure and roads that every community needs, endless delays hurt families, raise costs, and kill American jobs.

“The SPEED Act does not weaken bedrock 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.

“In Northern Minnesota, we face some of the worst impacts. Projects like Twin Metals, NewRange, and Talon Metals are stalled, costing us the chance to mine the critical minerals the world needs for batteries and national security. Even basic water and road projects miss our short construction window because of delays—adding hundreds of thousands of dollars that local taxpayers end up footing for these critical infrastructure projects.

“I am appreciative of the committee for adopting the amendment I offered alongside Rep. Golden, which reflects months of bipartisan collaboration to provide certainty for project sponsors and protect approved projects from being yanked away for political reasons when administrations change. It takes politics out of permitting, something both sides say they want.

“I urge the full House to quickly pass the SPEED Act and finally deliver real permitting reform.”