Political Quotes

“Mr. Chair, I rise to offer my amendment that prohibits any funds from being used to finalize or otherwise carry out the Biden administration's proposed NEPA Phase 2 rule. Rather than working to fix our broken permitting system and working to address the incredible challenges and barriers NEPA poses, the Biden administration's proposed rule makes our already broken system even worse. This proposed rule expands the broken NEPA framework, adds additional requirements, and creates new tools for opponents to shut down good projects. The NEPA Phase 2 rule would require Federal agencies not only to consider climate change but also add a new requirement to consider environmental justice during the NEPA review process, including environmental tree justice and tree equity. These new requirements are just another way that opponents of highway infrastructure projects, water infrastructure projects, critical mineral mining projects, renewable energy projects, transmission projects, oil and gas development projects get to a ``no.'' This administration does not want to do it here in the United States of America. Additionally, the NEPA Phase 2 rule violates the reforms Congress has put forth to address our permitting woes. These reforms were part of the bipartisan Fiscal Responsibility Act that we passed earlier this year. Trust me, the permitting provisions in the debt ceiling agreement did not solve all of our permitting problems, but they were an important step in the right direction.…”