Hank Johnson: “I thank the Rules Committee for making my amendment in order and urge my colleagues to support my commonsense amendment…”

“I thank the Rules Committee for making my amendment in order and urge my colleagues to support my commonsense amendment to protect the right of the public to comment on Federal projects under the NEPA review process. The purpose of my amendment is simple. It protects the right of the public to comment. This amendment would ensure that H.R. 2641, the so- called RAPID Act of 2013, does not restrict the right of any member of the public to comment on construction projects that may have an environmental impact. Like the administration and more than 20 well-respected environmental groups, I oppose the RAPID Act. This bill threatens public health and safety by putting a thumb on the scales in favor of private sector businesses in the project approval process. It is yet another antiregulatory measure whose sole purpose is to grease the wheels of the approval process for projects that are environmentally sensitive. Aside from creating duplicative and costly regulatory requirements that pertain to only certain types of projects, the RAPID Act would also limit the right of the public to comment on these projects. The bill does that in two ways: First, by reducing opportunities for public input; and, second, by fast-tracking the approval process through arbitrary deadlines. The NEPA approval process has protected the environment for more than 20 years, Mr. Chairman, and it is designed to be smart from the start.…”