Press Releases

U.S. Congressman Garret Graves (South Louisiana), and U.S. Senators Joe Manchin (West Virginia) and Dan Sullivan (Alaska) formally introduced today a bipartisan, bicameral, Congressional Review Act (CRA) to overturn the Biden Administration’s new burdensome environmental review process.

“Instead of implementing the law as stated and taking one step forward, the Biden White House has chosen to roll back consequential progress in permitting reform and take us two steps backwards. The NEPA Phase II rule actively undermines the bipartisan consensus that the President signed into law just a year ago and adds complexity and uncertainty outside the direction of Congress,” said Congressman Graves. “We can’t let this rule derail our efforts, and I’m committed to righting this wrong with Senators Manchin and Sullivan. Current regulations don’t work for the environment, and they don’t work for the people – we see more missed opportunities and inflated costs on projects every day. We need to ensure that our nation’s economic development and community needs can progress in a timely and responsible way.”

“Our broken permitting processes have caused years-long delays and cancellations of all kinds of energy projects. Congress worked in good faith with the Administration and passed legislation to set deadlines and ease some of the procedural delays in the Fiscal Responsibility Act. Unfortunately, this Administration’s expanded NEPA rule goes well beyond what was agreed to and undermines that deal by encouraging agencies to run right up to the deadline and empowering activists to hold up projects in litigation. We must get back to building things, but this rule creates roadblocks that will hold us back. I am proud to work with my friends, Senator Sullivan and Representative Graves, to undo this overreaching rule that undermines the will of Congress.”– U.S. Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources Chair Joe Manchin (West Virginia)

“The Biden administration's final NEPA Phase II rule runs roughshod over the bipartisan, bicameral consensus on streamlining federal permits for the vital infrastructure and energy projects that our country desperately needs. If allowed to stand, this rule will bog down projects with red tape, make them harder to build, put hard-working Americans out of work, and waste taxpayer dollars. My colleagues and I are putting forward a CRA to rescind the Biden administration’s ‘death by delay’ regulatory strategy, and ensure we can deliver the bridges, roads, pipelines, tunnels, ports, runways and energy projects the American people expect. I hope my colleagues will put America’s infrastructure needs and the interests of hard-working Americans above the demands of the far-left radical environmentalists." – U.S. Senator Dan Sullivan (Alaska)

“CEQ has repeatedly abused its authority and disregarded the will of Congress in an attempt to advance a radical Green New Deal agenda. This new NEPA rule is part of a longstanding pattern from Biden administration officials and will merely open the floodgates to frivolous litigation and increased delays. These policy failures cede control of global resources and critical minerals to our adversaries by making it more difficult for Americans to access our abundant domestic energy here at home. I applaud Congressman Graves for his leadership on this resolution to fight back against burdensome regulations and the Biden administration’s routine abuses of power.” – U.S. House Natural Resources Committee Chair Bruce Westerman (Arkansas)

Background:

• In 2018, Graves introduced the Building U.S. Infrastructure through Limited Delays & Efficient Reviews (BUILDER) Act, which modernizes the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) to expedite infrastructure project review to improve efficiency, reduce project costs, spur economic recovery, and rebuild America.
• BUILDER was included as part of H.R. 1 – the Lower Energy Costs Act, the House’s marquee energy legislation that passed on March 30, 2023.
• Sections of BUILDER were also included in H.R. 3746 – the Fiscal Responsibility Act, which was signed into law by President Biden on June 3, 2023 (P.L. 118-5).
• On April 30, 2024, The White House Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) announced a final NEPA rule that blatantly violated the bipartisan agreement signed into law by President Biden as part of the Fiscal Responsibility Act.
• After Graves pressed Brenda Mallory, Chair of the White House Council on Environmental Quality, on the Biden Administration’s flawed implementation of historic permitting law changes, Mallory admitted on the record that the White House intentionally ignored portions of the law and deviated from the intent of Congress.