ARTBA Calls on Senate Leadership to Include Transportation in Permit Reform Discussions

What Happened: A Sept. 7 ARTBA letter urged Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) to include the transportation sector in their ongoing discussions.

Why it Matters: Senate Democrats have agreed to consider a proposal by Senator Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.), but early indications are that the legislation will apply almost exclusively to energy projects.

In the letter, ARTBA asked the lawmakers to expand the scope of any measure to include transportation construction projects. ARTBA said that to realize the benefits of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), Congress must reduce the current five to seven years it takes to review new transportation improvements. Specifically, the association asked the Senate to direct the White House Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) to cease its repeal of 2020 reforms to the National Environmental Policy Act and instead implement the bipartisan project delivery reforms in the IIJA.

What’s Next: While there is no timetable for considering Manchin’s legislation, it could be brought to a Senate vote in coming weeks.