Political Quotes

“Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, Representative Porter's bipartisan legislation directs the Secretary of the Interior to design and deliver electronic permitting systems for permits, forms, and other required paperwork to the extent practical. Republicans have long supported streamlining and simplifying the permitting process. Additionally, the minority worked with us to address a concern raised with the legislation and how it would interact with recent changes to NEPA enacted under the Fiscal Responsibility Act. These discussions led to changes to Ms. Porter's legislation to clarify that any permitting system related to NEPA be consistent with the priorities identified in the FRA's NEPA provision. This legislation aims to streamline the management of operations of the Department of the Interior, improving access to our public lands and Department facilities. Modernizing the permitting process is an overdue task needed to increase departmental efficiency and improve transparency. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.”