Senate Western Caucus Chair Cynthia Lummis has expressed her support for the Trump administration’s decision to revise and streamline procedures under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). The administration’s Interim Final Rule rescinds regulations set by the Council on Environmental Quality regarding NEPA compliance.
Lummis stated, “For too long, western communities have waited for critical energy and infrastructure projects while paperwork piled up in Washington. I appreciate the Trump administration’s effort to initiate permitting reform. His balanced approach will ensure that environmental reviews focus on meaningful analysis rather than on endless and costly procedural hurdles.”
Representative Doug LaMalfa also commented on the matter, stating, “Far too often the NEPA permitting process has been weaponized by liberal administrations to delay or halt necessary infrastructure in the United States. Fortunately, President Trump understands that rolling back burdensome regulations is an important first step to reforming permitting and driving down the cost and time necessary to deliver American energy and infrastructure projects.” He added that removing CEQ’s authority would allow federal land management agencies to manage public lands more efficiently for various purposes.
The Western Caucus plans to continue collaborating with the Trump Administration to further reduce complexities in the permitting process and enhance American resource utilization.
