U.S. Rep. Steve Scalise (R-LA) recently unveiled legislation to promote new manufacturing in the United States by providing for greater transparency and timeliness in obtaining necessary permits.
“As our economy continues to recover from a global pandemic, the last thing we should do is promote policies that ship American jobs to high-polluting countries like China and Russia,” Rep. Scalise said on Monday. “By increasing transparency and holding the EPA accountable, we can reform a broken permitting process that is holding back our nation’s economy.”
The Promoting New Manufacturing Act, H.R. 1855, which Rep. Scalise sponsored on March 11 with cosponsor U.S. Rep. Michael Burgess (R-TX), is included in the Securing Cleaner American Energy package introduced on March 15 by U.S. House Energy and Commerce Committee Republicans.
The package of 18 bills aims to modernize and improve U.S. energy infrastructure and promote an all-of-the-above energy strategy, including solutions to spur innovation in hydropower, nuclear, clean coal, and natural gas.
“Instead of ramming through their socialist Green New Deal, the Biden administration should be doing everything in their power to work with Congress to grow the economy and help Americans get back to work,” said Rep. Scalise, who added that H.R. 1855 “takes critical steps towards cutting unnecessary red tape, reviving our country’s manufacturing base, and creating thousands of well-paying American jobs.”
If enacted, H.R. 1855 would create a dashboard to provide increased transparency regarding the timing for permitting and also would make public the number of Clean Air Act New Source Review (NSR) preconstruction permits issued annually, according to a bill summary provided by the congressman’s office.
Additionally, H.R. 1855 would require the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to provide guidance on how to comply with new or revised air quality standards and to provide Congress with an annual report on the actions it takes to expedite the permitting process, the summary states.