The Competitive Enterprise Institute (CEI) led an effort of 25 free market organizations, including E&E Legal, to compile a letter sent to lawmakers to postpone any decisions regarding permitting reform until the next Congress. Passing such an effort in a lame duck session when the American people have clearly expressed their desire for REAL reform is just cynical politics as usual.
As the letter notes:
The undersigned organizations strongly believe that our nation needs across-the-board federal permitting reform. This requires amending the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) as well as the many environmental statutes with permitting requirements, such as the Clean Water Act.
We write this letter though to strongly urge you to address permitting reform next year, not in the lame duck. Recent reports of permitting and transmission legislation gaining momentum this year are concerning.
